Complete Coverage

Ballot Measures Reflect States' Shaky Economies

In an election year dominated by the pitched battle for Congress and major governors’ races, state ballot measures involving education are largely tied to a similar theme: the burden of funding K-12 programs when state finances are shaky.

“It’s all funding,” said Jennie Drage Bowser, a senior fellow in the Legislative Management Program at the National Conference of State Legislatures, in Denver.

In some cases, initiatives, constitutional amendments, and other ballot measures seek to tap new sources of funding for education. For instance, an initiative in Washington state would raise taxes on the wealthiest individuals, lower other taxes, and divert any new revenue to...