Ballot Language: Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution establishing the right to school choice for children in kindergarten through 12th grade, and, in connection therewith, declaring that school choice includes neighborhood, charter, and private schools; home schooling; open enrollment options; and future innovations in education?
Amendment 80 would not result in any immediate changes to the school situation in Colorado. A 1994 state law gives all Colorado students the right to attend any public school, including neighborhood schools, charter schools, or online schools, at no cost. However, the state constitution is much harder to change than a state law. The conservative nonprofit Advance Colorado Action that sponsored this measure knows this, and that’s why they want to enshrine school choice in the constitution. Remember TABOR? We’re still dealing with its malign effects
The eventual effect of Amendment 80 is unclear. It may bring us a step closer to school vouchers, though that would require more changes to the law to bring about. That vagueness, combined with opposition from groups including the Colorado Education Association, the Colorado PTA, and the Colorado ACLU, is enough for IndivisibleNOCO to recommend a NO vote on this amendment.