Here in Colorado, we care about the success of our children and those who help them achieve it.

Within any schooling system, it’s important to have functional and welcoming resources in place for both students and teachers. Did you know that in our state, revenues from oil and natural gas production help support strong Colorado schools and other infrastructure projects? According to the Colorado State Land Board, “[Oil and natural gas] leases resulted in approximately $1.23 billion earned for trust beneficiaries — Colorado schoolchildren — in the past 15 years.”

A 2016 report also revealed that the majority of federal mineral lease revenues in Western Colorado come from fracking activities. These revenues are then awarded in the form of grants towards improvements in utilities, equipment, and schools. In 2016, the Mesa County Federal Mineral Lease District also awarded $100,000 to District 51 schools to upgrade classroom door locks – an important feature of overall school safety that’s making a difference for those who work in the school district.

District 51 schools aren’t the only ones seeing these benefits. Garfield County, which is the second highest producing county in oil and natural gas production in the state, was awarded a grant by the Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District to go towards a new roof for the elementary school.

Want to learn more about fracking? What is in fracking fluid? How much water does fracking use? Click here to get the facts on fracking in Colorado – from our state’s stringent regulations to how it powers our economy and supports our communities.