ARTICLE IX
Education
Law reviews: For article, "The Colorado Constitution in the New Century", see 78 U. Colo. L. Rev. 1265 (2007); for article, "The Judiciary's Role in Colorado's School Finance System", see 44 Colo. Law. 51 (Oct. 2015).
Section 1.Supervision of schools - board of education. (1) The general supervision of the public schools of the state shall be vested in a board of education whose powers and duties shall be as now or hereafter prescribed by law. Said board shall consist of a member from each congressional district of the state and, if the total number of such congressional districts is an even number, one additional member, and said members shall be elected as hereinafter provided. The members of said board shall be elected by the registered electors of the state, voting at general elections, in such manner and for such terms as may be by law prescribed; provided, that provisions may be made by law for election of a member from each congressional district of the state by the electors of such district; and provided, further, that each member from a congressional district of the state shall be a qualified elector of such district. If the total number of congressional districts of the state is an even number, the additional member of said board shall be elected from the state at large. The members of said board shall serve without compensation, but they shall be reimbursed for any necessary expenses incurred by them in performing their duties as members of said board.
(2) The commissioner of education shall be appointed by the board of education and shall not be included in the classified civil service of the state.
(3) The qualifications, tenure, compensation, powers, and duties of said commissioner shall be as prescribed by law, subject to the supervision of said board.
Source: Entire article added, effective August 1, 1876, see L. 1877, p. 54. L. 48: Entire section amended, see L. 49, p. 359. L. 92: Entire section amended, p. 2316, effective upon proclamation of the Governor, L. 93, p. 2163, January 14, 1993.
Cross references: For education generally, see title 22.
Section 2.Establishment and maintenance of public schools. The general assembly shall, as soon as practicable, provide for the establishment and maintenance of a thorough and uniform system of free public schools throughout the state, wherein all residents of the state, between the ages of six and twenty-one years, may be educated gratuitously. One or more public schools shall be maintained in each school district within the state, at least three months in each year; any school district failing to have such school shall not be entitled to receive any portion of the school fund for that year.
