FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS:
Tracie Rainey, CO School Finance Project
July 22, 2022 Raineytracie@gmail.com 303-941-1633
Lisa Weil, Great Education Colorado
lisa@greateducation.org 720-217-6239
Initiative 63 Campaign Releases Polling Showing 2-1 Support for Measure
Measure to increase state funding for teachers without increasing tax rates will likely pass in November – if voters are given the chance to weigh in.
Denver – Today, the Great Schools Thriving Communities (GSTC) Coalition released polling conducted by Tulchin Research showing that Colorado voters overwhelmingly support Initiative 63, which would provide $1 billion in funding to “attract, retain and compensate teachers and student support professionals” without raising taxes. The poll shows that voters approve of the actual language of Initiative 63 by almost a 2:1 ratio (56-30%). Following a basic description of the measure, that margin increased to almost 3:1 (67-24%).
“We’ve got a very popular, common sense proposal. Folks are excited to sign the petition. They want to vote to support teachers without raising taxes,” commented Staci Ruddy, President of the Colorado PTA, a member of the GSTC Coalition. “If we can get on the ballot we will win. It would be tragic if voters don’t get that chance because of a lack of enough money to guarantee getting it on the ballot.”
The Great Schools Thriving Communities (GSTC) Coalition is calling for a last push for donations and volunteers to ensure voters get the chance to weigh in on Initiative 63 this November. The campaign has an August 8th deadline for turning in almost 125,000 valid signatures in order to qualify for the 2022 ballot.
Hundreds of volunteers have already gathered tens of thousands of signatures and donated tens of thousands of dollars to the effort. However, the campaign estimates it needs an additional $400,000 for paid petitioning to ensure enough signatures are gathered by the deadline.
Momentum is building for the measure, which has collected endorsements from dozens of statewide education organizations representing parents, teachers, school boards, administrators and rural districts, from local school district boards of education and, most recently, from the Colorado Education Association.
“Our teachers deserve better pay and voters want to provide it. That’s why it is so important to get this on the ballot,” noted Great Education Colorado board member Kristi Hargrove, a Republican, who has personally gathered hundreds of signatures. “We’re asking every person who values our teachers to step up to sign, carry or donate. We’ve got to put the interests of students above politics.”
Individuals interested in carrying or signing petitions in the remaining weeks can sign up here. Donations can be made here.
Colorado currently holds the distinction of the least-competitive teacher salaries in the nation, a consequence of per pupil funding that has fallen to more than $2,000 per pupil behind the national average.
Tulchin Research conducted the poll among 800 likely November 2022 voters in Colorado, from June 5-13, 2022. Respondents were contacted by live telephone interviews (landlines and cell phones) as well as online by text message and email. The margin of error is ± 3.46% for the full 800 sample. A full slide deck, toplines, and crosstabs can be made available to any reporter who requests them.
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The Great Schools Thriving Communities (GSTC) Coalition, is an ongoing inclusive, diverse group of organizations committed to increasing adequate and equitable funding for Colorado public schools.