Douglas County Defeats Dark Money for Vouchers

Douglas County, next to Denver, Colorado school board races are national news and funded nationally. Why? It is a target area for school privatization. So much money is involved that candidates form coalitions. The pro choice/voucher group is called ELEVATE. The anti voucher group is called Community Matters. Evidently, community does matter in Denver. The four anti voucher school board candidates won by 60%.

The district began a voucher program in 2011, but it has been stalled in the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court told the Colorado Supreme Court to reconsider its decision that vouchers in Colorado were unconstitutional. The decision by the voters is likely to slow privatization of schools in Denver.

The race was touted as a test case for school vouchers. Americans for Prosperity, funded by the conservative Koch Brothers faced off against the teachers union. Politico estimated that the race cost over $800,000 dollars. Democracy is getting very expensive with all that dark money pouring in from billionaires. This time, the citizens won.

Posted in Advocacy, Colorado, Public Education, Vouchers.

2 Comments

  1. Sue: I think you are referring to the Douglas County school board. I don’t think Denver did as well.
    Billie Day (Aurora/Arapahoe County, also in the Denver area–the teacher’s slate won in Aurora; the Raising Colorado/DFER funded group did not)

    • Thank you. I didn’t realize Denver was both the city and county. So glad that Douglas Cty which is right next door did not ruin the alliteration ””Douglas Dark. Excuse the humor; it is one of those days.

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