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Colorado Springs School District 11 elections (2017)
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Four of the seven seats on the Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education in Colorado were up for nonpartisan election on November 7, 2017. Three of those seats were up for general election to regular four-year terms. The fourth seat was up for special election to an unexpired two-year term due to a vacancy on the board.[1] The race for the four-year terms included incumbents Jim Mason and Shawn Gullixson and challengers Morgan Chavez and Julie Ott. Gullixson and Mason won re-election to their seats, and Ott won the other four-year term on the board. Incumbent Mary Coleman ran unopposed and won the two-year term.[2][3][4] In addition to choosing school board members, citizens of the Colorado Springs School District 11 voted on a $42 million ballot question for the district.[5]
Mason, Gullixson, Chavez, and Ott participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates. Click here to read their responses.
The 2017 election had a lower average number of candidates per seat compared to the district's previous two elections. For information on elections trends in the district, click here.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education consists of seven members elected at large to four-year terms. Elections are held on a staggered basis so that three or four seats are up for election every odd-numbered year in November.[6]
To qualify to run for school board, candidates had to be residents of the school district and registered voters for a minimum of 12 consecutive months before the election. They also could not have been convicted of a sexual offense against a child. To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to file nomination petitions containing 50 signatures of eligible voters in the school district by September 1, 2017.[7]
Colorado voters were allowed to register to vote through election day.[8] Photo identification was not required to vote in Colorado.[9]
Candidates and results
At-large (4-year terms)
Results
| Colorado Springs School District 11, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Julie Ott |
32.27% | 27,943 |
| Jim Mason Incumbent |
28.26% | 24,467 |
| Shawn Gullixson Incumbent |
23.91% | 20,706 |
| Morgan Chavez | 15.56% | 13,473 |
| Total Votes | 86,589 | |
| Source: El Paso County Elections Office, "Official Results: COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT 11 DIRECTOR (4 YEAR TERM)," accessed November 27, 2017 | ||
Candidates
 Shawn Gullixson 
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Jim Mason
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| Morgan Chavez
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Julie Ott
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At-large (2-year term)
Results
| Colorado Springs School District 11, At-large General Election, 2-year term, 2017 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Mary Coleman Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 34,864 |
| Total Votes | 34,864 | |
| Source: El Paso County Elections Office, "Official Results: COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT 11 DIRECTOR (2 YEAR TERM)," accessed November 27, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| Mary Coleman
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Colorado elections, 2017
The Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education election shared the ballot with questions for El Paso County, the city of Colorado Springs, and Colorado Springs School District 11.[10][11]
| Click [show] to see how the ballot question for El Paso County appeared on the ballot. | ||||||
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| Click [show] to see how the ballot question for the city of Colorado Springs appeared on the ballot. | ||||||
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| Click [show] to see how the ballot question for Colorado Springs School District 11 appeared on the ballot. | ||||||
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Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the 2017 Colorado school board elections.[13][14]
Endorsements
The Colorado Springs Education Association (CSEA) and Unite Colorado Springs endorsed incumbents Jim Mason, Shawn Gullixson, and Mary Coleman and challenger Julie Ott.[15][16] The Colorado Springs Independent and the Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS® also endorsed Mason, Gullixson, and Ott.[17][18] Ott was also endorsed by Together for Colorado Springs.[19]
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $17,070.89 and spent a total of $16,566.49 in the election, according to the Colorado Secretary of State.[20]
| Candidate | Balance prior to election | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates for 4-year terms | ||||
| Shawn Gullixson | $0.00 | $2,950.00 | $2,648.18 | $301.82 |
| Jim Mason | $395.16 | $2,607.50 | $3,002.66 | $0.00 |
| Morgan Chavez | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Julie Ott | $0.00 | $11,513.39 | $10,915.65 | $597.74 |
| Candidate for 2-year term | ||||
| Mary Coleman | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Reporting requirements
School board candidates in Colorado were required to file three campaign finance reports. The reports were due on October 17, 2017, November 3, 2017, and December 7, 2017.[14]
Past elections
To see results from past elections in Colorado Springs School District 11, click here.
What was at stake?
Issues in the election
School district puts question on ballot
In addition to choosing school board members on November 7, 2017, citizens of the Colorado Springs School District 11 voted on a ballot question for the district. They approved it with 57.3 percent of the vote.[21] The question asked for $42 million for "attracting and keeping great teachers, modernizing and maintaining buildings, updating technology, and other crucial items," according to a press release from the district.[5] The question appeared on the ballot as follows:
| “ | SHALL SCHOOL DISTRICT 11 TAXES BE INCREASED $42 MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY WHICH SHALL BE USED TO FUND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
THE DISTRICT SHALL ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY WITH A CITIZENS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WHICH SHALL ANNUALLY REVIEW AND REPORT TO THE PUBLIC ON THE USE OF FUNDS; FOR 2019 AND THEREAFTER SHALL SUCH REVENUES BE ADJUSTED ANNUALLY FOR INFLATION; AND SHALL THE DISTRICT BE ALLOWED TO COLLECT, RETAIN AND SPEND THE FULL AMOUNT OF THESE REVENUES AS A VOTER APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE AND SHALL THE MILL LEVY AUTHORIZED BY THIS QUESTION BE EXCLUDED FROM PREVIOUS LIMITS WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE APPLY? __YES |
” |
| —Colorado Springs School District 11 (2017)[11] | ||
Report a story for this election
Ballotpedia researches issues in school board elections across the United States, but information availability is a challenge for us in many school districts. Please contact us about the issues that impact your local school district. Note that not all submissions may meet Ballotpedia's coverage requirements for inclusion.
Candidate survey
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Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
Survey responses
Four candidates in this race participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display the responses to the survey questions from incumbents Shawn Gullixson and Jim Mason and challengers Morgan Chavez and Julie Ott.
Hope to achieve
When asked what he hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Gullixson stated:
| “ | Work with the board and district to address all needs of every student and employee, while graduation the best talent into our community and increased engagement in the classroom, administration, parents, and the business community.[12] | ” |
| —Shawn Gullixson (September 26, 2017)[22] | ||
When asked what he hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Mason stated:
| “ | I seek re-election to continue work with Board colleagues, the Administration, Staff, and Parents/Guardians toward our goal of improving Student achievement through improved and increased educational opportunities; and maintenance of a high performing learning environment.[12] | ” |
| —Jim Mason (October 12, 2017)[23] | ||
When asked what she hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Chavez stated:
| “ | I want for every school in my district to be somewhere that every child is safe and able to learn. I want all the children in my district to become lifelong learners.[12] | ” |
| —Morgan Chavez (September 29, 2017)[24] | ||
When asked what she hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Ott stated:
| “ | I will advocate for a high-quality education for all students, resources that improve students’ well-being, and investment in their future success. My top priorities are improving the graduation rate, including vocational and technical training opportunities as student education options, supporting our students socially and emotionally as well as academically, and fiscal responsibility.[12] | ” |
| —Julie Ott (October 17, 2017)[25] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidates were asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays their rankings:
| Issue importance ranking | ||||
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| Issue | Gullixson's ranking | Mason's ranking | Chavez's ranking | Ott's ranking |
| Expanding arts education | ||||
| Improving relations with teachers | ||||
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | ||||
| Improving post-secondary readiness | ||||
| Closing the achievement gap | ||||
| Improving education for special needs students | ||||
| Expanding school choice options | ||||
Positions on the issues
The candidates were asked to answer nine multiple choice and short answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. A link to their responses can be found below.
- Shawn Gullixson's survey responses
- Jim Mason's survey responses
- Morgan Chavez's survey responses
- Julie Ott's survey responses
Election trends
- See also: School boards in session: 2015 in brief
The 2017 Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education election attracted a lower average number of candidates per seat compared to the district's previous two elections. Five candidates ran for four seats in 2017 for an average of 1.25 candidates per seat. In 2013 six candidates ran for three seats for an average of two candidates per seat, and in 2015 seven candidates ran for four seats for an average of 1.75 candidates per seat.
| School board election trends | ||||||
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| Year | Candidates per seat | Unopposed seats | Incumbents running for re-election | Incumbent success rate | Seats won by newcomers | |
| Colorado Springs School District 11 | ||||||
| 2017 | 1.25 | 25.00% | 75.00% | 100.00% | 25.00% | |
| 2015 | 1.75 | 0.00% | 50.00% | 100.00% | 50.00% | |
| 2013 | 2.00 | 0.00% | 66.67% | 50.00% | 66.67% | |
| Colorado | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.77 | 30.77% | 55.38% | 83.33% | 53.85% | |
| United States | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.72 | 35.95% | 70.37% | 82.66% | 40.81% | |
About the district
Colorado Springs School District 11 is located in El Paso County in central Colorado. The county seat is Colorado Springs. El Paso County was home to an estimated 688,284 residents in 2016, according to the United States Census Bureau.[26] The district was the 10th-largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 28,332 students.[27]
Demographics
El Paso County underperformed compared to Colorado as a whole in terms of higher education achievement between 2011 and 2015. The United States Census Bureau found that 35.9 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 38.1 percent of state residents. The median household income in El Paso County was $58,206, compared to $60,629 statewide. The poverty rate in the county was 11 percent, while it was 11.5 percent for the entire state.[26]
| Racial Demographics, 2016[26] | ||
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| Race | El Paso County (%) | Colorado (%) |
| White | 83.6 | 87.5 |
| Black or African American | 6.9 | 4.5 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Asian | 2.9 | 3.3 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Two or More Races | 4.8 | 3.0 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.7 | 21.3 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Colorado Springs School District 11 Colorado election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Colorado Springs School District 11 | Colorado | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Colorado Springs School District 11, "Board of Education," accessed February 27, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Springs School District 11, "2017 Board of Education Candidates for Election," accessed September 7, 2017
- ↑ El Paso County Elections Office, "Unofficial Results: COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT 11 DIRECTOR (4 YEAR TERM)," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ El Paso County Elections Office, "Unofficial Results: COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT 11 DIRECTOR (2 YEAR TERM)," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Colorado Springs Independent, "D-11 board refers ballot measure to improve Colorado Springs schools," August 24, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Springs School District 11, "Board of Education," accessed August 29, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Association of School Boards, "2017 Elections School Board Candidate Guide," accessed August 29, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Voter Registration FAQs," accessed August 29, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Acceptable Forms of Identification," accessed August 29, 2017
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Colorado Springs City Elections, "November 7, 2017 - City Ballot Question," accessed September 13, 2017
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 El Paso County Elections, "Official Sample Ballot for El Paso County 2017 Coordinated Election," accessed October 4, 2017
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "2017 Election Calendar," accessed August 28, 2017
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "2017 Biennial School Election Calendar," accessed August 28, 2017
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Julie Ott," September 14, 2017
- ↑ Unite Colorado Springs, "2017 Coordinated Election Endorsements," accessed October 17, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Springs Independent, "The Indy's picks for the 2017 Coordinated Elections," October 11, 2017
- ↑ Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS, "2017 November Coordinated Election," accessed October 17, 2017
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Julie Ott," October 16, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "TRACER: Candidate Search," accessed December 15, 2017
- ↑ El Paso County Elections Office, "Official Results," accessed November 27, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Shawn Gullixson responses," September 26, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Jim Mason responses," October 12, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Morgan Chavez responses," September 29, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Julie Ott responses," October 17, 2017
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts: El Paso County, Colorado; Colorado," accessed August 30, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data, file ccd_lea_052_1414_w_0216161a, 2014-2015," accessed November 16, 2016
| Colorado Springs School District 11 elections in 2017 | |
| El Paso County, Colorado | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large (4-year terms): • Incumbent, Shawn Gullixson • Incumbent, Jim Mason • Morgan Chavez • Julie Ott At-large (2-year term): • Incumbent, Mary Coleman |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
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