Senate Bill 19-003 Summary

• Establishes an educator loan forgiveness program beginning in the 2019-20 academic year to address teacher and educator shortages in Colorado public schools, particularly in rural areas and high-need content areas.

• Expands eligibility to include teachers, principals, and special services providers in qualified positions, defined as hard-to-staff educator positions in rural schools or in content shortage areas (early childhood education, science, mathematics, world languages, special education, art, music, and drama).

• Increases loan forgiveness amounts from $2,000 to up to $5,000 per year for up to five years of employment in qualified positions, with prioritization given to educators in rural areas with content shortages.

• Authorizes the Colorado Commission on Higher Education to approve up to 100 new participants annually and requires the Department of Education to annually identify rural schools and content shortage areas, considering stakeholder feedback.

• Appropriates $623,969 for the 2019-20 fiscal year ($123,969 for administration and $500,000 for loan repayments) and sets program expiration date as September 1, 2033.