Public education in Colorado

K-12 education in Colorado

Education facts

State superintendent: Susana Cordova

Number of students: 891,084

Number of teachers: 52,611

Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:16.9

Number of school districts: 178

Number of schools: 1,867

Graduation rate: 81%

Per-pupil spending: $11,602

See also

Colorado Department of Education • List of school districts in Colorado • Colorado • School boards portal

Public education in the United States Public education in Colorado Glossary of education terms

Note: These statistics are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given were the most recent as of October 2022.

The Colorado public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2022, Colorado had 891,084 students enrolled in a total of 1,867 schools in 178 school districts. There were 52,611 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 17 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. In 2020, Colorado spent on average $11,602 per pupil. The state's graduation rate was 81 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.

General information

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how Colorado compares to the national level for the most recent years for which data is available.

Public education in Colorado
State	Schools	Districts	Students	Teachers	Teacher to pupil ratio	Per pupil spending
Colorado	1,867	178	891,084	52,611	1:16.9	$11.602
United States	90,323	13,194	47,755,383	2,783,705	1:16	$13,494
*Per pupil spending data reflects information reported for fiscal year 2020. Sources: Education statistics in the United States U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. School System Current Spending Per Pupil by Region: Fiscal Year 2020" National Center for Education Statistics, "Fast Facts: High school graduation rates"

Academic performance

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Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

NAEP scores

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The chart below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming), students in Colorado earned the highest scores in every category.

Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013
	Math - Grade 4	Math - Grade 8	Reading - Grade 4	Reading - Grade 8
Colorado	50%	42%	41%	40%
New Mexico	31%	23%	21%	22%
Utah	44%	36%	37%	39%
Wyoming	48%	38%	37%	38%
United States	41%	34%	34%	34%
Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables," accessed May 13, 2014

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Colorado and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.

Colorado schools reported a graduation rate of 76.9 percent, second lowest among its neighboring states.

In Colorado, more students took the ACT than the SAT, earning an average ACT score of 20.4.

Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013
State	Graduation rate, 2013		Average ACT composite, 2013		Average SAT composite, 2013
	Percent	Quintile ranking**	Score	Participation rate	Score	Participation rate
Colorado	76.9%	Fourth	20.4	100%	1,721	14%
New Mexico	70.3%	Fifth	19.9	70%	1,626	12%
Utah	83%	Third	20.7	100%	1,684	6%
Wyoming	77%	Fourth	19.8	100%	1,757	4%
United States	81.4%		20.9	54%	1498	50%
**Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally. Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express" ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores" The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013"

Dropout rate

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Colorado was higher than the national average at 5.1 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 4.9 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.

Educational choice options

See also: School choice in Colorado

School choice options in Colorado included charter schools, a limited, location-specific voucher program, open enrollment policies and online learning programs. In addition, about 6.50 percent of school-age children in the state attended private schools in the 2011-2012 academic year, and an estimated 2.67 percent were homeschooled in 2012-2013.

Developments

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Colorado is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Education funding and expenditures

See also: Colorado state budget and finances

Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2013
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.

Colorado spent approximately 26 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. The state school systems' revenue came primarily from local funds. Colorado spent more of its budget on public education than any of its neighboring states.

Comparison of financial figures for school systems, fiscal year 2013
State	Percentage of budget	Per pupil spending	Revenue sources
			Percent federal funds	Percent state funds	Percent local funds
Colorado	26%	$8,647	7.9%	42.1%	50%
New Mexico	19.5%	$9,012	14.8%	68.3%	17%
Utah	23.6%	$6,555	9.5%	52%	38.5%
Wyoming	10.9%	$15,700	6.7%	52%	41.3%
United States	19.8%	$10,700	9.1%	45.6%	45.3%
Sources: NASBO, "State Expenditure Report" (Table 8). U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 5 and Table 8).

Revenue breakdowns

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.

According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.

In Colorado, the primary source of school system revenue was local funding, at $4.4 billion. Colorado received more revenue from local sources than any of its neighboring states during fiscal year 2013.

Revenues by source, fiscal year 2013 (amounts in thousands)
State	Federal revenue	State revenue	Local revenue	Total revenue
Colorado	$696,266	$3,693,829	$4,392,164	$8,782,259
New Mexico	$519,318	$2,401,884	$597,419	$3,518,621
Utah	$409,774	$2,235,917	$1,656,221	$4,301,912
Wyoming	$113,501	$881,114	$698,563	$1,693,178
United States	$54,367,305	$272,916,892	$270,645,402	$597,929,599
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 1)

Expenditure breakdowns

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.

Public education expenditures in Colorado totaled approximately $8.5 billion in fiscal year 2012. Total public education expenditures in Colorado were higher than in any of its neighboring states.

Expenditures by type, fiscal year 2012 (amounts in thousands)
State	General expenditures	Capital outlay	Other	Total expenditures
Colorado	$7,341,585	$706,235	$500,592	$8,548,413
New Mexico	$3,039,423	$516,030	$4,253	$3,559,706
Utah	$3,779,760	$746,262	$264,051	$4,790,073
Wyoming	$1,432,216	$213,239	$10,455	$1,655,911
United States	$527,096,473	$48,773,386	$25,897,123	$601,766,981
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)" (Table 5)

Personnel salaries

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States

Note: Salaries given are averages for the state. Salaries may vary between a state's urban, suburban, and rural districts and should be adjusted for cost of living. For example, a MacIver Institute study of average teacher salaries in 60 metropolitan areas found that salaries in New York City were the third-highest in absolute figures but 59th-highest when adjusted for the cost of living.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Colorado, the average salary decreased by 4.4 percent.

Estimated average salaries for teachers (in constant dollars**)
	1999-2000	2009-2010	2011-2012	2012-2013	Percent difference
Colorado	$52,153	$52,520	$49,865	$49,844	-4.4%
New Mexico	$44,488	$49,378	$46,381	$46,573	4.7%
Utah	$47,757	$48,980	$48,961	$49,393	3.4%
Wyoming	$46,638	$59,628	$58,174	$57,920	24.2%
United States	$57,133	$58,925	$56,340	$56,383	-1.3%
**"Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI does not account for differences in inflation rates from state to state."

Organizations

State agencies

See also: Colorado Department of Education

The mission statement of the Colorado Department of Education reads as follows:

“

The mission of the Colorado Department of Education is to ensure that all students are prepared for success in society, work, and life by providing excellent leadership, service, and support to schools, districts, and communities across the state.

”

The Colorado Commissioner of Education is education department's executive officer. The commissioner is appointed by the Colorado State Board of Education.

The board of education is "charged by the Colorado Constitution with the general supervision of the public schools." The board's seven members are elected from each of the state's congressional districts. The education commissioner serves as a non-voting member of the board.

Unions

In 2012 the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Colorado ranked 35th overall for union power and influence, or "weak," which was in the fourth of five tiers.

The main unions related to the Colorado school system are the Colorado Education Association (CEA), an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), and the Colorado Federation of Teachers. CEA is the largest education association in the state. For the 2003 tax period CEA had: $10.5 million in total revenue, $10.1 million in total expenses and $7.9 million in total assets. For the same period, the Colorado Federation of Teachers had: $213,403 in total revenue, $221,663 in total expenses and $157,369 in total assets.

List of local Colorado school unions:

• Colorado Education Association
• Colorado Federation of Teachers
• Denver Classroom Teachers Association
• Colorado Springs Education Association
• Boulder Valley Education Association
• Pueblo Education Association
• Denver Federation of Teachers
• Cherry Creek Education Association
• Thompson Education Association
• Aurora Education Association

Government sector lobbying

See also: Colorado government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Colorado Association of School Boards. Below is a list of major Colorado education government sector lobbying organizations:

• Colorado Association of School Executives
• Jefferson County Education Association
• Public Educators Advocating for Kids

Transparency

On June 4, 2009, Governor Ritter signed Colorado House Bill 1288, the "Colorado Taxpayer Transparency Act," into law. HB 1288 mandated the creation of an online spending database by no later than January 2010.

Studies and reports

State Budget Solutions education study

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

Quality Counts 2014

See also: Education Week survey

Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 used six different categories:

1. Chance for success
2. K-12 achievement
3. Standards, assessments and accountability
4. The teaching profession
5. School finance
6. Transitions and alignment

Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

Colorado received a score of 82.9, or a B average in the "chance for success" category. This was above the national average. Excluding the chance for success category, the state's highest score was in transitions and alignment at 82.1, or a B- average. The lowest score was in the teaching profession at 68.6, or a D+ average. Colorado had the highest scores in both chance for success and K-12 achievement in comparison to its neighboring states. The chart below displays all of the scores of Colorado and its surrounding states.

Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

Public education report cards, 2014
State	Chance for success	K-12 achievement	Standards, assessments and accountability	The teaching profession	School finance	Transitions and alignment
Colorado	82.9 (B)	74.2 (C)	81.8 (B-)	66.4 (D)	68.6 (D+)	82.1 (B-)
New Mexico	66.6 (D+)	60.3 (D-)	92.0 (A-)	74.3 (C)	70.5 (C-)	89.3 (B+)
Utah	79.1 (C+)	69.1 (D+)	81.7 (B-)	64.5 (D)	65.2 (D)	89.3 (B+)
Wyoming	79.9 (B-)	70.0 (C-)	79.3 (C+)	66.7 (D+)	90.3 (A-)	78.6 (C+)
United States	77.3 (C+)	70.2 (C-)	85.3 (B)	72.5 (C)	75.5 (C)	81.1 (B-)
Source: Education Week, "Quality Counts 2014" A full discussion of how these numbers were generated can be found here.

School districts

See also: School board elections portal

District types

Colorado school districts vary by region type. Some school districts correspond to specific cities or counties, and because of that, have stricter regulations when it comes to school board elections. All school districts in Colorado, however, are governed by an elected board of education, and they all have the power to levy ad valorem taxes for school purposes and to issue general obligation bonds after voter approval.

School board composition

School board members are elected by residents of the school district. School boards in Colorado may have five, six or seven members, those members may serve four-year or six-year terms and they may be elected by geographic district or at-large. School districts that are coterminous with a city and a county have stricter regulations. Those school boards must have a seven-member school board, and those members must serve four-year terms with five of them getting elected from geographic districts and two elected at large.

If a vacancy occurs in a school board, the remaining members of the school board must adopt a resolution declaring such vacancy. The school board must then appoint a person to fill the vacancy within 60 days of the vacancy occurring. The newly appointed member will then serve the remainder of the unexpired term.

Term limits

The Colorado Term Limits Act, which was added to Article XVIII of the Colorado Constitution, limits any nonjudicial elected official of any county, city, town, school district or other political subdivision to serving no more than two consecutive terms in office. The power to change those limitations, by lengthening, shortening or eliminating them, was given to the voters of political subdivisions. Because of this, term limits for school board members vary by district.

Elections

See also: Colorado school board elections, 2025

The table below contains links to all school board elections covered by Ballotpedia in 2025 in this state. This list may not include all school districts with elections in 2025. Ballotpedia's coverage includes all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population and the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment.

Editor's note: Some school districts choose to cancel the primary election, or both the primary and general election, if the number of candidates who filed does not meet a certain threshold. The table below does not reflect which primary or general elections were canceled. Please click through to each school district's page for more information.

2025 Colorado School Board Elections
District	Primary	General Election	General Runoff Election	Regular term length	Seats up for election	Total board seats	2022-2023 enrollment
Academy School District 20	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	3	5	25,719
Adams 12 Five Star Schools	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	2	5	35,747
Aurora Public Schools	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	4	7	38,135
Bennett School District 29-J	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	2	5	1,296
Cherry Creek School District	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	2	5	52,392
Cheyenne Mountain School District 12	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	2	5	3,737
Colorado Springs School District 11	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	3	7	22,725
Denver Public Schools	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	4	7	87,883
Douglas County School District	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	4	7	62,341
School District 49	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	2	5	24,517
Harrison School District Two	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	3	5	12,267
Jeffco Public Schools	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	3	5	75,327
Manitou Springs School District 14	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	2	5	1,317
School District 27J	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	4	7	22,713
St. Vrain Valley School District	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	3	7	31,894
Widefield School District 3	N/A	11/4/2025	N/A	4	3	5	9,612

Path to the ballot

To qualify as a school board candidate in Colorado, an individual must:

• Be a registered voter in the corresponding school district for 12 consecutive months prior to the election.
• Be a resident of the corresponding geographic district, if the school district elects school board members by district.
• Not have been convicted of a sexual offense against a child.
• File a written notice of intention to run and a nominating petition with the secretary of the board of education in the corresponding school district no later than 67 days prior to the election.

Campaign finance

School board candidates are required to register a candidate committee if they plan to accept contributions. Candidate committees are not required if candidates only use their own money for campaigning. School board candidates are required to file disclosure reports for all expenditures made related to their campaign, whether they use their own money or contributions from other sources. All campaign finance documents and reports must be filed with the Colorado Secretary of State.

Recent legislation

The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Colorado state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Education ballot measures

See also: Education on the ballot and List of Colorado ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.

1. Colorado Control of Public Schools, Measure 15 (1912)
2. Colorado Investing Public School Funds, Measure 7 (1916)
3. Colorado Amendment No. 8, Prohibition of Bussing Students to Achieve Racial Balance Initiative (1974)
4. Colorado Amendment 6, Educational Standards and Funding Initiative (1992)
5. Colorado Amendment 7, School Voucher Program and Nonpublic Education Regulations Initiative (1992)
6. Colorado Amendment 17, Income Tax Credit for Private Education Expenses and Restrict Nonpublic Education Regulations Initiative (1998)
7. Colorado Amendment 23, Education Funding Initiative (2000)
8. Colorado Referendum F, Science and Math Grants Measure (2000)
9. Colorado Amendment 31, English Language Education Initiative (2002)
10. Colorado Elected State Board of Education, Measure 6 (1928)
11. Colorado Amendment 2, Elected State Board of Education Amendment (1930)
12. Colorado Referendum J, School District Spending Measure (2006)
13. Colorado Amendment No. 2, Establishment of a Student Loan Program Amendment (1972)
14. Colorado Amendment No. 4, Administration of the University of Colorado System Amendment (1972)
15. Colorado Amendment No. 12, Tax Levies and School Financing Initiative (1972)
16. Colorado Tax Increase for Education, Amendment 66 (2013)
17. Colorado Institutions of Higher Education, Referendum 5 (1910)
18. Colorado Examination of Teachers, Measure 21 (1912)
19. Colorado Teachers' Summer Normal School, Measure 26 (1912)
20. Colorado One-Mill Levy for State Education Institutions, Measure 7 (1920)
21. Colorado Location and Control of Higher Education Institutions, Measure 7 (1922)
22. Colorado Amendment 1, Elected State Board of Education Measure (1948)
23. Colorado Proposal No. 2, Allow County Voters to Abolish County Superintendents Amendment (1964)
24. Colorado Required Distances from Schools in Certain Casino Gambling Jurisdictions Amendment (2014)
25. Colorado Horse Racetrack Limited Gaming Proceeds for K-12 Education, Amendment 68 (2014)
26. Colorado School Board Open Meetings, Proposition 104 (2014)
27. Colorado Public School Funding Initiative (2014)
28. Colorado Referendum B, Excess Funds for Transportation and Education Measure (1998)
29. Colorado Amendment 80, Constitutional Right to School Choice Initiative (2024)
30. Colorado Proposition 119, Creation of Out-of-School Education Program and Marijuana Sales Tax Increase Initiative (2021)
31. Colorado Amendment 73, Establish Income Tax Brackets and Raise Taxes for Education Initiative (2018)
32. Colorado Proposition CC, Retain Revenue for Transportation and Education TABOR Measure (2019)
33. Colorado Amendment 17, Parental Right to Direct Upbringing, Education, and Discipline of Children Initiative (1996)

In the news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Colorado education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Public education in Colorado - Google News

See also

• Historical public education information in Colorado
• Colorado state budget and finances
• Colorado Department of Education
• List of school districts in Colorado
• School choice in Colorado
• Charter schools in Colorado
• Colorado
• Education Policy in the U.S.

External links

• Colorado Department of Education
• Colorado State Board of Education
• Colorado Commissioner of Education
• Colorado School Districts
• State Education, Federal Stimulus Funds - 2009
• Colorado School Performance
• School Accountability Reports
• Colorado Charter Schools
• Colorado School Choice Options

Additional reading

• Colorado Department of Education, "Colorado Report Card (State) -- NAEP Reading and Mathematics 2007," accessed October 13, 2009