policy
State Funding Bill Increases Aurora Public School Support, Excludes Charters
Aurora families with children in traditional public schools will receive higher per-pupil state support from the 2027 school year onward, while charter operators in the city receive no additional allocations under the new measure.
How we reported this
The state legislature passed Bill 312, the K-12 Equity Distribution Act, on July 7, 2026. The measure revises the school funding formula to direct extra state dollars to districts based on enrollment and local tax capacity. Aurora Public Schools will gain resources, while the city's five charter schools will continue under the prior allocation rules.
Why the change arrives now
State budget documents released in May 2026 showed a $1.8 billion surplus in the education account after two years of enrollment recovery. Lawmakers used that surplus to adjust the formula, which had last been updated in 2021. The legislation states that districts with above-average shares of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals receive the largest increases.
Aurora Public Schools serves 42,000 students, 68 percent of whom qualify for meal assistance. The district will receive an additional $6.2 million in the 2027 fiscal year, according to the state education department's preliminary allocation table. Charter schools, which enroll roughly 3,800 Aurora students, remain funded at the 2025 per-pupil rate.
Daily effects for Aurora residents
Parents whose children attend Aurora Elementary or West Aurora High School can expect smaller class sizes in core subjects next year. The district plans to add 22 teaching positions and restore two reading specialists cut in 2024. Families using charters such as Aurora Academy or Summit Charter will see no change in state support and must rely on existing private fundraising or local tuition assistance programs.
City property taxes will not rise to cover the new district funds. The legislation states that the state will cover the full cost through the general fund. Local advocates note that Aurora's charter operators have already signaled they will seek private grants to offset the gap, but no state mechanism exists for those requests under the current bill.
Implementation begins with the January 2027 payment cycle. The state education department will issue final district allocations by October 15, 2026. Aurora Public Schools has scheduled a public budget workshop for August 12 to outline how the new funds will be spent.