Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) Grant Program

The Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) Grant Program is administered by the Colorado Department of Education through its Capital Construction program. Established in 2008 with the creation of C.R.S. 22-43.7, BEST provides competitive financial assistance for public school capital construction needs in Colorado. The program's primary focus is resolving health, safety, and security issues in Colorado public schools and creating equitable educational environments for students and staff. Through fiscal year 2025, BEST had awarded grants in nearly every Colorado school district and had improved learning environments serving more than 410,000 students. Nearly 70 percent of funded projects have gone to rural and small rural districts, which the program notes often have limited capacity to raise funds locally. BEST is funded through four revenue sources: State Land Trust Funds, marijuana excise taxes, Colorado Lottery funds, and interest earned. These revenues are collected in the Capital Construction Assistance Fund, from which BEST grants are distributed and program administration is supported. Because all revenues are combined in this fund, the Colorado Department of Education states that it cannot identify which individual revenue source contributed to a specific funded project. The provided program materials do not state an overall grant-cycle funding total, an individual minimum award, or an individual maximum award, so those amounts should not be inferred. Eligible applicants identified by the program are Colorado school districts, charter schools, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services, commonly referred to as BOCES, and the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind. The program is therefore geographically restricted to Colorado and is not a nationwide opportunity. BEST's stated emphasis is on capital construction needs that address health, safety, and security in Colorado public schools. The FY26-27 timeline also identifies a match component by stating that match percentages become available during the application period, but the provided materials do not specify a single applicable matching percentage or formula. Applicants should therefore rely on the match percentage established for their particular application rather than assuming a uniform percentage from the supplied sources. For the FY26-27 cycle, potential applicants worked with consultants and BEST staff during the July through December 2025 preparation period to define project scope and develop budgets. BEST Regional Program Managers provide year-round technical support, including assistance with identifying and prioritizing needs, defining potential project scope, recommending delivery methods, assisting with procurement, and reviewing due-diligence materials. Facility Insight assessments are performed continuously, with priority given to current applicants. Districts and charter schools were required to notify BEST of their intent to apply no later than December 5, 2025. The online application period then ran from January 8 through March 2, 2026, with applications due at 4 p.m. on March 2. Applicants were given access to GAINS to submit their applications, and online training was available. After the application deadline, BEST staff reviewed FY26-27 applications from March 2 through April 16, 2026, and a Summary Book was published. The Capital Construction Assistance Board review period ran from April 16 through May 12, followed by CCAB meetings from May 12 through May 14 to prioritize recommended projects. The program page reports that on May 21, 2026, the Capital Construction Assistance Board voted to approve its FY26-27 prioritized list of projects for financial assistance and that the State Board of Education approved the recommended grants at its June meeting. The timeline further provided for State Board approval no later than June 20 and Capital Development Committee consideration of State Board lease-purchase project recommendations no later than July 15. The FY26-27 application deadline has passed, and the published program materials describe a recurring fiscal-year grant-cycle structure, including previous-cycle archives and preparation for subsequent cycles. The opportunity is therefore treated as anticipating its next round rather than currently accepting applications. Using the January opening month of the published cycle as the recurrence anchor, the next cycle is expected around January 2027 for data-entry monitoring purposes. Applicants interested in a future cycle should monitor the BEST Grant Program and timeline resources and work with BEST staff during the preparation period. Program questions and requests for additional information or alternative document versions may be directed to BESTSchools@cde.state.co.us or 303-866-2153.

Engage BEST Regional Program Managers early to identify and prioritize needs, define a defensible project scope, develop the budget, consider delivery methods and procurement, and review due-diligence materials. Establish project goals through master planning and other due diligence before application submission.