Candidates and outside groups spent a total of $2.2 million in November’s Denver school board election, according to final campaign finance reports. This amount surpasses the spending in the previous election and nearly ties the $2.3 million spent in 2019. Over the years, the cost of Denver school board races has increased as outside groups have invested more money in supporting candidates aligned with their views.
In the 2023 election, groups and donors supportive of education reform and charter schools outspent the Denver teachers union by a ratio of 5 to 1. This strategy, although not always successful in the past, proved effective this year. The election results indicate a mandate for change on a board that has been in place during a year when Denver schools experienced significant developments.