Colorado's K-12 system needs an overhaul, voters say
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Like they say about politics and the economy, Colorado voters are pessimistic about the state's K-12 public education system, a newly released poll finds.
Why it matters: It's not a good look for policymakers, particularly Gov. Jared Polis, who has made education his top priority since taking office in 2019.
Driving the news: 57% of registered voters believe public education is on the wrong track, a sentiment led by Republican and independent voters, according to a recent poll from nonpartisan firm Magellan Strategies.
- 29% say it's headed in the right direction and 14% are unsure.
Between the lines: The political weaponization of public education has influenced the numbers amid debates about gendered bathrooms, transgender athletes and "woke" curricula.
- Poor academic performance and declining standards are other reasons voters are skeptical.
What they're saying: There is a broad feeling that "our public schools are just not teaching and preparing students for life," pollster David Flaherty told us.
- Those who supported public education credited teachers who went out of their way to help students succeed.
The big picture: Education spending is expected to top $10 billion in the next fiscal year — the second largest spending item in the annual state budget.
- The governor's budget increases education spending by $276 million, equating to $12,272 per pupil.
Zoom in: A majority of voters believe local school districts need more money to provide a good education, but 49% question whether taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently.
- The two issues voters think are most important for schools to address are attracting high-quality teachers and paying them more.
The fine print: Magellan Strategies conducted the poll Oct. 20-28 and released the results in mid-November. The margin of error was 2.98 percentage points.