Tax-Wary Voters, Needy Schools a Volatile Mix

Sixth grader Julian Salazar travels to Wheat Ridge Middle School. Budget cuts have forced school officials in Colorado’s Jefferson County to close some schools. The district is also charging students a fee to ride school buses.

—Photos by Nathan Armes for Education Week

By Sean Cavanagh

A year ago, Republicans piled up record victories in state elections on promises that they would keep taxes low and cut government spending—including money going to education.

Now, elected officials and other partisans are laying the foundation for arguments they will take to the electorate next year that depict the cuts delivered by many governors and lawmakers since the midterm elections as either necessary and justified, or shortsighted and harmful to schools.

State leaders and advocacy groups have previewed those debates over the past few months during a series of off-year-election battles focused heavily on K-12 issues, particularly teacher collective bargaining and spending on schools. The clashes included a closely watched referendum last week in Colorado, where voters...