Colorado’s School Finance Act, which helps funds public education, won preliminary approval from the state House of Representatives late  Wednesday.

It now heads to a final vote in the House, and if successful, back to the Senate for agreement on amendments.

And there were some big amendments as Senate Bill 246 headed through the House.

The bill’s sponsors, Republican Rep. Jim Wilson of Salida and Democratic Rep. Barbara McLachlan of Durango, took under their wings several major education bills that were running out of time for the session and they felt were too important to lose.

McLachlan explained that there were several education bills in the Senate that weren’t going anywhere and that had bipartisan support that they incorporated into Senate Bill 246.

Those bills would pass were there enough time, Wilson added, and the appropriations for the bills had already been approved.

“We didn’t want to gamble,” Wilson said.

One is House Bill 1161, also sponsored by Wilson, that’s awaiting preliminary approval in the Senate. The bill sets up a comprehensive physical education pilot program, funded with $1.1 million from the state education fund. The money would go out in the form of three-year grants to 15 schools.

“We’re trying to get [physical education] implemented again and very comprehensive,” Wilson said. “No more pool hall, study hall or basket weaving.”

The physical education portion addresses a number of issues that Wilson, a former phys-ed teacher, is concerned about: Combatting childhood obesity and physical activity, which he noted tends to improve academic performance. 

The second is House Bill 1276, a bill intended to help ninth graders finish high school, also funded through a grant program with money from the state education fund.

Wilson had been a “no” vote on the bill when it was in the House because it lacked a sunset (a set date in the future for reauthorization), but told Colorado Politics the program as outlined in the school finance act requires reporting to the state Department of Education, so the accountability he was looking for is there.

“They’re both good for academic success,” added McLachlan.

The House didn’t change anything added to the bill by the Senate, such as the $20 million set aside as one-time money for rural schools, $22 million for special education and $25 million to reduce the state’s debt to public education, known as the budget stabilization factor. That makes a total of $102 million for the BS factor in the school finance act.

Wilson points out that rural schools are going to benefit in a number of ways, both from the school finance act and from other measures that have already cleared the General Assembly, such as the measure that mandates the state pay for full-day kindergarten. “It’s a good package,” Wilson said. “Last year was good, but this year surpasses that.”