Colorado Voters Reshape State School Board

Families with Colorado K-12 students should watch how the board balances a budget gap against new school funding and sports rules.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Administration

Colorado Voters Reshape State School Board

Live Poll

Should Colorado raise new tax revenue to fund public schools?

Colorado voters elected candidates to three seats on the nine-member State Board of Education on November 3, 2026, while Democrats held a slim majority on the partisan board before the vote. The results shape a board that will weigh school funding and sports rules as the state faces a budget shortfall of more than $1.2 billion.

Why it matters

School boards set statewide direction on funding and participation rules that reach every family with a K-12 student in Colorado. With a shortfall above $1.2 billion, decisions about how new education revenue is spent carry direct household consequences for school budgets and local programs.

Three of the nine State Board of Education seats were on the ballot, with Democrats holding a slim majority beforehand. The state estimates Proposition NN would add $241.5 million to K-12 spending this year and $234 million the next budget year.

The players

Sherri Wright

Incumbent Republican State Board of Education member who taught middle school in Colorado and Texas and served 11 years on the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 school board.

Barb Clementi

Challenger for a State Board of Education seat who taught middle and high school in Colorado and served on the Pueblo District 60 school board.

The details

Proposition NN directs all revenue remaining after local governments are reimbursed into the Children's Account, which is the mechanism behind the projected spending increase. Proposition 134 would set statewide rules requiring school sports participation based on a student's sex as defined by their biological reproductive system. Incumbent Republican Sherri Wright, who taught middle school in Colorado and Texas, served 11 years on the Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 school board. Challenger Barb Clementi taught middle and high school in Colorado and served on the Pueblo District 60 board.

November 3, 2026: Colorado State Board of Education election results reported.
This year: Proposition NN estimated to add $241.5 million to K-12 spending.
Next budget year: Proposition NN estimated to add $234 million to K-12 spending.

The Home Front

Colorado's education funding debate sits against a budget shortfall of more than $1.2 billion, which pressures every line of state spending. Proposition NN's projected $241.5 million boost for K-12 schools is the state's clearest estimate of how new revenue could reach classrooms.

If you have children in a Colorado public school, check how any new state education revenue is being allocated in your district's budget at the next school board meeting. Families with students in school sports should review the participation rules if Proposition 134 is adopted.

The takeaway

Colorado's school funding and sports rules depend on who sits on the State Board of Education, so families benefit from tracking board votes as the budget gap is addressed. Keep the state budget documents and your district's annual budget on file to compare how any new K-12 money is spent.