Colorado voters will decide whether to make school choice a constitutional right

Colorado voters will decide Tuesday whether to enshrine the right to school choice in the Colorado Constitution, with initial results on Amendment 80 expected after polls close at 7 p.m..

The measure needs 55% of support to pass because it would amend the constitution. ELECTION RESULTS: Live Colorado election results for the 2024 election Under state law, Coloradans can already send their children to any public K-12 school in the state for free, even if they live in a different district. Supporters of the amendment said the measure would further protect the right of parents to choose where their children go to school, including traditional district-run schools, charter schools, private schools or home schools.



The measure has drawn opposition from several groups, most notably from the Colorado Education Association. The state’s largest teachers union has called Amendment 80 “an unnecessary, duplicative and misleading proposal.” Kevin Vick, president of the union, previously said Amendment 80 would open the door to a state voucher program, which would use taxpayer money from public schools and give it to private schools.

But Michael Fields, president of Advance Colorado , the conservative group that petitioned the amendment on the ballot, has denied such claims. Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot..