School boards need to have the same control over their elections that our cities and municipalities do. City councils and municipalities have the statutory right to move their elections to even years, and across Colorado more cities are talking about making this change. School boards must have the option to decide whether to make an election year move along with their municipalities.

Even-year elections drive up voter turnout and increase voter engagement. School boards reach more voters, engage with more community members, and connect more easily with their families, teachers, and taxpayers in even-year elections.

Odd-year elections favor special interest groups. Even-year elections are an important tool for municipalities and school districts in the fight against the deep pockets of interest groups that don't represent communities.

Even-year elections save money. When elections all occur at the same time the costs are shared by the parties, saving valuable dollars that can be spent instead on students.

Why do we hold school board elections in odd years?

Colorado Revised Statutes have defined that regular biennial school elections shall be held on the first Tuesday in November of each odd-numbered year.

While federal, state, and county office elections take place in even-numbered years, both cities and school boards are more likely to occur in these off-year elections.

Since 2004, Colorado municipalities have had the ability to move their elections to November of even-numbered years, while school boards do not currently have that option.

Which school districts are likely to find local election control the most beneficial?

All districts will benefit from local election control. Larger districts can capitalize on the large increase in voter turnout that even-year elections bring and smaller districts can guarantee that election will be under their control rather than mandated by the state. Districts across the political spectrum can ensure that they are electing school board members that really represent the values of their community, rather than being subject to outside special interest attacks.

Districts across the plains, mountains, front range, and western slope can engage with their communities and ensure that they are working with stakeholders to time our elections in a way that best represents the needs and focus of their individual communities. When deciding the timing of local school board elections, no one knows a school district as well as that district's families, board, staff, teachers, and administration.

Who should decide whether a change to even-year elections is right for our community?

A change in when elections are held is a serious decision that should be undertaken only with broad support from across the community and from key stakeholder groups. Teachers, families, community members, education associations, administrators, and advocates should all be consulted as part of an in-depth stakeholding process. If the community is supportive of the move, then the school board should approve a measure for the ballot and further outreach should be done to ensure that a vote on the issue is representative and comprehensive.

Why do we want to increase voter turnout in school board elections?

When we really engage our community in the process of choosing and shaping our candidates and processes we produce processes and candidates that meet the needs of our community.

School boards and superintendents want to deliver an educational experience that fits the needs and hopes of their community, we all want families and teachers that are bought-in and invested in the work we're doing. The more we work to include our whole community in our elections the more we can guarantee that we are focusing on the priorities and the expectations that our community is demanding.

How do even-year elections help down-ballot candidates?

People who vote for federal and state candidates in even years are just as likely to vote for local candidates in even years.

Down-ballot candidates are able to capitalize on the substantial increase in turnout that occurs in even years and use that increased attention to their advantage on the campaign trail. Even when top-ballot candidates receive more votes than lower-ballot local races, the increased turnout and attention still results in a higher number of votes cast for local elections in even years than in odd-year elections.

Will school board candidates get the attention and support they need in an even year?

Absolutely. Moving local elections to even years elevates the importance and attention of local issues and candidates because more people participate in the discussions and process. History has shown that local offices like City Council simply don’t attract the level of interest from the mass media or the public that state and federal offices do, regardless of how strong the field of candidates is, or how competitive the races are. When local offices stand on their own in an odd-numbered, “local” year, coverage and voter interest tends to be muted.

In an even-year cycle much of the Get Out The Vote (GOTV) work is being done by federal and state candidates, leaving school board and city council candidates free to focus on their messaging rather than having to spend valuable time and money on GOTV efforts. Additionally, there is more opportunity to pool resources for lit drops, phone banks, and door-to-door efforts in an even-year cycle, meaning school board candidates can make their dollars and the volunteer help go further than ever before.

By sharing a ballot with higher profile state and federal offices, we can elevate the importance of local races. With that, local contests can more effectively gain attention and media coverage. That’s good for candidates, good for voters, and good for democracy. The local offices effectively ride on the coattails of the state and federal offices, benefiting from the excitement and energy surrounding the elections for those positions.

Why does this help teachers and teachers' unions?

Teachers across this state are struggling to live in the communities in which they work and are more likely to be renters in a community and to move every few years due to the inequities of the housing market. Renters are one of the groups most likely to accidentally miss an odd-year vote due to address changes and a decrease in awareness about elections in off-years. Even-year elections let us better connect with our teachers and ensure that their voices and needs are being represented at the ballot box.

Teachers' unions need to know that their board supports them and is putting the needs of students and teachers first, but in odd-year elections special interest groups can take over candidates or boards and put niche interests ahead of our children and educators. Even-year elections help our teachers and teachers' unions to know that they will always be represented by a school board that puts them first.

How does this help our Boards of Education?

In even years it is easier to recruit and to properly vet qualified candidates for school boards. The increased attention on even-year races drives up attention and interest in school board races and increases the number of people seeking to participate in the system. Even-year elections let school boards and superintendents feel confident that they can replace outgoing term-limited school board members with individuals who are well-informed, capable, and invested in the community and in students, teachers, and families.

What about partisanship in school board elections?

School board elections are and will remain non-partisan elections. Any school district that moves their election dates to even years will remain non-partisan.

Traditionally, school board candidates seek endorsements from school-related organizations and elected officials. Some school board candidates have tried to receive endorsements from certain political parties, while others have tried to gain support from across the political spectrum.

Whether these elections are in odd or even years, candidates will speak in-depth about their values, goals, and beliefs in their positions, and why those are in the best interest of the teachers, students, and their communities. This will not change based on election timing.

If this is a concern for a community, it should be discussed in-depth with community members, elected officials, teachers unions, families when school board directors weigh putting a measure on the ballot.