While the State Board of Education doesn't formally endorse or oppose candidates or campaign issues, six of seven members Thursday said voters should nix Amendment 23. The amendment to the state constitution mandates guaranteed increases in school funding of the inflation rate plus 1 percentage point per year over 10 years and by at least the inflation rate each year thereafter. Anyone here in the '80s knows we're going to have another recession one of these days. Cary Kennedy of the Yes on Amendment 23 campaign said voters should not make decisions based upon the board's ideas.
Supporters say the amendment has a contingency plan for an economic downtown.
I question whether they are aware of the impacts these funding cuts have had on student learning. Kennedy noted that the Colorado Association of School Boards has endorsed the proposal. The only Democrat on the board, Gully Stanford, is the only board member to support Amendment 23. Caldara also is an employee of the Independence Institute, a conservative think tank. Critics of the amendment also complained of a lack of accountability.