Colorado's first school voucher program became law on Wednesday, hailed by supporters as "just the beginning" of school choice here and decried by opponents who called it "a sad day" for children.

Gov. Bill Owens was surrounded by hundreds of private school students when he signed House Bill 1160 into law. The moment drew raucous applause from a crowd gathered on the west steps of the state Capitol.

"We're going to literally open the doors of opportunity to thousands of our children," Owens said. "A quality education delayed is all too often a quality education denied. The children of Colorado will have to wait no longer."

Wednesday's signing ceremony had all the zeal of a religious rally, with a group prayer followed by children singing, dancing, cheerleading and waving American flags. Most students were black or Hispanic, and ethnicity was a key theme for speakers.

"We have grown tired of words, of betrayals, of educational underachievement," said a jubilant Luis Villareal, head of the Coalition for Latino Children in Education. "The years are gone when parents of low-achieving students are powerless to help themselves."

The voucher program doesn't single out minorities, but it is targeted at struggling students from low-income families. About 3,200 such students from 11 Front Range school districts will be eligible when the program begins in fall 2004.

That number can grow to about 20,000 students when the program is fully implemented in fall 2007 - potentially making Colorado's program the largest in the nation.

It is also the first voucher program enacted since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling upholding Cleveland's voucher program in June.

"This is just the beginning," said Jon Caldara, president of the conservative Independence Institute, a Golden think tank that began pushing for vouchers in 1985.

"This will give people a taste of freedom," Caldara said. "Once you give people a taste, there's no turning back."

But threats of lawsuits already are flying. Both the state teachers union and the Washington, D.C.-based People for the American Way issued press releases Wednesday threatening legal action.

"This is a sad day for our children, our state and our constitution," Colorado Education Association president Ron Brady said. "It's astonishing that the governor has signed a piece of legislation so clearly in violation of Colorado's constitution."

But Owens, in a later interview, said he has no doubts about the legality of the program.

"I understand there probably will be lawsuits filed," he said, "but I think they're destined to fail."

One state school official predicted "foot-dragging" on the part of some school districts required to offer vouchers. But superintendents of the state's two largest districts said that won't happen.

"Whatever our obligations are, we will fulfill our obligations," said Cindy Stevenson, superintendent of Jefferson County schools, where as many as 5,000 students might be eligible for vouchers.

Denver Public Schools Superintendent Jerry Wartgow said he doesn't see private schools as competitors.

"We view them as allies in a common crusade to improve student performance," Wartgow said. "So we're focused on that."

As Wednesday's rally wound down, veteran choice advocate Willie Breazell lingered. The former head of the Colorado Springs chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was forced to step down in 1999 because he supports vouchers.

"Frankly, I wasn't sure we would ever see anything," said Breazell, founder of the Black Alliance for Educational Options. "To see this . . . it can be done."

INFOBOX

Number of students eligible for vouchers

Estimated number of students statewide eligible to participate in Colorado's first voucher program:

2004-05...3,230

2005-06...6,460

2006-07...12,920

2007-08...19,381

Where the numbers came from: The number of eligible students is based on each preceding year's enrollment count. For example, for the first year in 2004-05, no more than 1 percent of a participating school district's enrollment in 2003-04 are eligible. That percent grows in 2005-06 to 2 percent of the prior year's enrollment, in 2006-07 to 4 percent of the prior year's enrollment and in 2007-08 and thereafter, to 6 percent of the prior year's enrollment.

Source: Colo. Department of Education

VOUCHER PROGRAM FACTS

Signed into law Wednesday, the state's voucher program goes into effect in the fall of 2004 for a limited number of students

Which school districts are affected?

Eleven Colorado school districts must participate in the program. They are Adams 12 (Northglenn-Thornton), Adams 14 (Commerce City), Adams 50 (Westminster), Aurora, Colorado Springs District 11, Denver, Greeley-Evans District 6, Harrison District 2, Jefferson County, Pueblo District 60 and St. Vrain Valley. Other school districts can participate voluntarily by school board vote.

Is my student eligible?

To participate, students in grades K-12 must meet all the following criteria:

Live in a participating school district and have attended a public school for the year prior to application.

Students already home-schooled or enrolled in private schools are not eligible.

Qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. Students in grades K-3 must meet selected at-risk factors or live near a neighborhood school rated "low" or "unsatisfactory" by the state.

Fourth- through 11th-graders must have scored unsatisfactory on at least one subject on their most recent state test. Students not required to take the test are eligible if they also qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

What are the vouchers worth?

Vouchers are worth up to 85 percent of state per-pupil funding, depending on the student's grade. The rest of the funding stays with the school district. This year, the statewide average for per-pupil funding is $5,795.

How do I apply?

Participating school districts must notify parents of their students' eligibility for the initial year of the program by Dec. 1. Districts also must provide a list of eligible private schools. Parents then submit applications to the district by Jan. 1 and to private schools beginning April 1.