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Colorado public school choice, while widespread, is limited by authorization processes and requirements that can be burdensome for new schools of choice, particularly when those processes involve hostile authorizing entities. Only a handful of authorization pathways exist for Colorado schools of choice. Charter schools, for instance, may only be authorized by local school districts or the Colorado Charter School Institute. Other entities, including Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) may also authorize schools, although this authorization authority is more rarely used.

Public School Choice and Authorization in Colorado: Current Practices and New Pathways examines current authorization processes and recommends a variety of policy solutions that will allow more innovation and choice for Colorado families, including through the expansion of charter-authorization pathways.