The Colorado House of Representatives just approved a smart, targeted fix for the state’s stubborn educator shortage. House Bill 26-1027 lets retired BOCES executive directors return to work without losing their hard-earned PERA retirement benefits. The vote was 52-10, and the bill now heads to the Senate.
This is not another blanket proposal. It is a precision strike aimed at the leadership vacuum hurting small and rural districts the hardest.
Why This Bill Matters Now
Colorado’s teacher shortage is no longer just a headline. It is empty classrooms, burned-out principals, and kids who miss out on specialized help.
The latest Colorado Department of Education data tells the story:
- 7,792 teacher positions needed filling in 2024-25 (up 12.4% from last year)
- 7,840 special service provider spots open (up from 7,685)
- Overall shortage rate dropped slightly to 2.91%, but rural districts still bleed talent
Representative Katie Stewart, who co-sponsored the bill from District 59, knows the pain firsthand. She served on the Durango school board and saw good people walk away because pay and housing could not keep up.
“These are experienced leaders who already gave decades to our kids,” Stewart told reporters after the vote. “Many still want to serve. We just removed the penalty for doing so.”
Rural Colorado Wins Big
Western Slope, Southwest Colorado, and Northwest districts stand to gain the most. BOCES leaders coordinate special education, gifted programs, and career-tech across multiple small districts. When one retires and no qualified replacement steps up, entire regions feel it.
Moffat County, Montezuma-Cortez, and Delta County superintendents have already told lawmakers they would hire retired BOCES directors tomorrow if the pension barrier disappeared.
One Western Slope superintendent put it bluntly: “We cannot recruit new talent at the salaries we can offer. But we have retirees living ten minutes away who would come back in a heartbeat to help.”
How the Vote Broke Down
The bill passed third reading 52-10:
- All 41 Democrats present voted yes
- 11 Republicans joined them
- 10 Republicans voted no
Western Slope Republican Rick Taggert (District 55, Grand Junction) voted yes. Matt Soper (District 54, Delta) voted no and did not return calls for comment.
The bipartisan support, even if slim on the Republican side, shows lawmakers understand this is not a partisan issue. It is a Colorado kids issue.
What Happens Next
The bill now goes to the Senate, where similar measures have passed easily in recent years. If it clears the upper chamber, Governor Jared Polis is widely expected to sign it. He has made educator workforce issues a cornerstone of his administration.
Once signed, retired BOCES executive directors can start applying for open positions immediately. No waiting period. No earnings cap that slashes their pension.
This is practical governing at its best. Lawmakers saw a specific problem, found a specific pool of qualified people being kept on the sidelines by an outdated rule, and fixed it.
Colorado families in rural districts have waited years for this kind of common-sense relief. The House just delivered the first half. Now the Senate needs to finish the job.
What do you think? Will bringing back retired leaders make a real difference in your local schools? Share your thoughts below, and tag #COEducatorFix if you’re talking about it on social media.
