Governor Polis, Lt. Governor Primavera and Legislative Leaders Send Letter to First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Touting Colorado’s Commitment to Military Families

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

DENVER - Governor Jared Polis, Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, and leaders from the Colorado General Assembly sent a letter to the First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, touting the state’s commitment to providing members of the military and their families with unmatched quality of life.

“Colorado is continuing to lead the way in providing military families with the resources and programs that they need to thrive,” added Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “By ensuring that students can enroll in school prior to arriving in the state, we set military-connected students up for success. This is yet another reason that Colorado is the ideal home for our military members and their families, as well as the only permanent location for U.S. Space Command.”

“Colorado is proud of our strong military presence and heritage. We are home to seven military installations and 60,000 military members and their families. Colorado is committed to welcoming our military members and their families and providing them an unmatched quality of life. Our state understands that military-connected students and their families face unique educational challenges, including continuous moves that result in many children attending between six to nine different schools during their K-12 career. When children of military families move as a result of their parents’ service, they are often disadvantaged due to missed deadlines for course and program enrollment and registration,” the group writes. 

“To help address these challenges, Colorado recently enacted House Bill 21-1217 “Concerning Active Duty Military Family Enrollment in Public Schools,” into law. This bill allows inbound active duty military families flexibility in school choice and the opportunity to enroll prior to arriving in the state. It requires school districts and charter schools to allow active-duty military members and their families to use local school liaison offices as their address during school registration and enrollment prior to arriving in Colorado. It also allows military families to enroll their children remotely or online. To ensure continuity in a student’s education, this bill also ensures that school districts and charter schools guarantee matriculation for students from year-to-year. Finally, it provides enrollment preference for younger siblings of an enrolled military-connected student. This flexibility will allow military families to make informed and thoughtful decisions about their child’s education as they move to Colorado, helping to alleviate the stress that often stems from inflexible school choice and enrollment processes,” the letter continues. 

Last year, Colorado took action to ensure that military spouses have a streamlined path for employment mobility. With the unanimous passage of House Bill 20-1326, military spouses can obtain, at no cost, a three-year temporary credential for any profession or occupation under the purview of the Division of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) - Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO), if they hold a credential in good standing from another U.S. state or territory. The creation of the new Program reduces barriers for military spouses, further easing transitions for military families.

The Polis Primavera administration is committed to advancing the interests of military members, their families, and veterans, as well as bolstering Colorado’s expanding aerospace industry.