A day on the slopes. A horseback ride along a mountain trail. An afternoon in an escape room, or at the pickleball court.
Those activities are how some homeschool students have spent their days, under the banner of enrichment. And Colorado taxpayers have funded many of these outings – to the the tune of tens of millions of dollars last year.
If these activities sound a bit more extravagant than the school field trips you remember, some lawmakers agree.
Colorado legislators have taken steps to rein in some of the swankier outings for homeschool students – especially when the same activities aren’t funded for public school students. And the State Board of Education this week is set to consider permanent rules to govern publicly funded homeschool enrichment programs going forward.
So, how did nearly $100 million get spent on these activities? And how have lawmakers worked to stop this from continuing?
Education reporter Ann Schimke has been covering this story for Chalkbeat Colorado. She talked with Erin O'Toole about how we got here, and how education officials are responding.
