School District 49, Colorado, elections
| School District 49 |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 5 |
| Students: 24,867 (2023-2024) |
| Schools: 30 (2023-2024) |
| Website: Link |
School District 49 is a school district in Colorado (El Paso County). During the 2024 school year, 24,867 students attended one of the district's 30 schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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School District 49 school board, District 1
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, District 1
Holly Withers defeated incumbent Jamilynn D'Avola and Ivy Liu in the general election for School District 49 school board, District 1 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Holly Withers (Nonpartisan)  | 43.1 | 2,242 |
 | Jamilynn D'Avola (Nonpartisan) | 42.7 | 2,225 | |
 | Ivy Liu (Nonpartisan) | 14.2 | 740 | |
| Total votes: 5,207 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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School District 49 school board, District 4
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, District 4
Incumbent Lori Thompson defeated Chris Harrell in the general election for School District 49 school board, District 4 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Lori Thompson (Nonpartisan) | 50.7 | 2,214 |
| Chris Harrell (Nonpartisan) | 49.3 | 2,154 | ||
| Total votes: 4,368 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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School District 49 school board, District 2
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, District 2
Debra Schmidt defeated Candace Lehmann in the general election for School District 49 school board, District 2 on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Debra Schmidt (Nonpartisan) | 57.6 | 3,348 | |
| Candace Lehmann (Nonpartisan) | 42.4 | 2,462 | ||
| Total votes: 5,810 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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School District 49 school board, District 3
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, District 3
Marie LaVere-Wright defeated Ralene Revord in the general election for School District 49 school board, District 3 on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Marie LaVere-Wright (Nonpartisan) | 54.7 | 2,388 |
| Ralene Revord (Nonpartisan) | 45.3 | 1,974 | ||
| Total votes: 4,362 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Mark Cravens (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew)
School District 49 school board, District 5
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, District 5
Mike Heil won election in the general election for School District 49 school board, District 5 on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mike Heil (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 3,906 |
| Total votes: 3,906 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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School District 49 school board, District 1
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, District 1
Jamilynn D'Avola defeated incumbent Dave Cruson and Fadil Lee in the general election for School District 49 school board, District 1 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jamilynn D'Avola (Nonpartisan) | 58.4 | 2,288 |
| Dave Cruson (Nonpartisan) | 29.8 | 1,166 | ||
 | Fadil Lee (Nonpartisan) | 11.8 | 463 | |
| Total votes: 3,917 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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School District 49 school board, District 4
General election
Special general election for School District 49 school board, District 4
Incumbent Ivy Liu defeated Tammy Harold in the special general election for School District 49 school board, District 4 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ivy Liu (Nonpartisan) | 64.5 | 2,129 |
 | Tammy Harold (Nonpartisan) | 35.5 | 1,174 | |
| Total votes: 3,303 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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School District 49 school board, District 5
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, District 5
Lori Thompson defeated Elmer Harris and Justin Jakovac in the general election for School District 49 school board, District 5 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lori Thompson (Nonpartisan) | 59.5 | 1,801 |
 | Elmer Harris (Nonpartisan) | 33.0 | 999 | |
| Justin Jakovac (Nonpartisan) | 7.4 | 225 | ||
| Total votes: 3,025 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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School District 49 school board, District 2
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, District 2
Rick Van Wieren won election in the general election for School District 49 school board, District 2 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Rick Van Wieren (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 3,576 | |
| Total votes: 3,576 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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School District 49 school board, District 3
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, District 3
John Graham defeated Cassandra Berry in the general election for School District 49 school board, District 3 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | John Graham (Nonpartisan) | 99.7 | 4,547 |
| Cassandra Berry (Nonpartisan) (Write-in) | 0.3 | 12 | ||
| Total votes: 4,559 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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School District 49 school board, District 4
General election
School District 49 school board, District 1
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, District 1
Incumbent Dave Cruson won election in the general election for School District 49 school board, District 1 on November 7, 2017.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Dave Cruson (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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School District 49 school board, District 5
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, District 5
Incumbent Kevin Butcher won election in the general election for School District 49 school board, District 5 on November 7, 2017.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Kevin Butcher (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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School District 49 school board, At-large
General election
General election for School District 49 school board, At-large
Incumbent Marie LaVere-Wright and John Graham won election in the general election for School District 49 school board, At-large on November 3, 2015.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Marie LaVere-Wright (Nonpartisan) |
| ✔ | | John Graham (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Election rules
Election dates and frequency
School board general elections in Colorado are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in odd-numbered years.
See law: C.R.S. 22-31-104
Below are the recent/upcoming dates for all public school districts in the state. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.
- Filing deadline date: August 29, 2025
- General election date: November 4, 2025
Election system
School board members in Colorado are elected through nonpartisan general elections without primaries.
See law: C.R.S 22-30-104
Party labels on the ballot
School board elections in Colorado are nonpartisan, which means party labels do not appear on the ballot for school board candidates. Colorado Statute Section 1-4-803(4) states, "A candidate for the office of school director shall not run as a candidate of any political party for that school directorship."
See law: C.R.S 22-30-104 and 1-4-803
Winning an election
The school board candidate that receives the largest number of votes in the general election is elected to office.
See law: C.R.S. 1-4-104
Term length and staggering
School board members have four-year terms unless a school board passes a resolution to extend the terms to six years.
Any school district coterminous with a city and county (Denver Public Schools) have four-year board member terms. As of 2022, Denver Public Schools was the only school district coterminous with a city and county.
See law: C.R.S. 22-31-105
Colorado school districts have staggered elections with as close to half of their board members as possible elected every two years to four-year terms. The board of education can extend or reduce for two years the terms of one or more board members as necessary to achieve staggered elections with as close to the same number of seats up for election as possible every two years.
See law: C.R.S. 22-31-105
Representation: at large vs. by sub-district
Except for districts coterminous with a city and county (Denver as of 2022), school board members are elected at large by default. They can be elected from residence area restriction sub-districts or through a combination of at-large and residence area restriction sub-districts if the school district passes a resolution to change district representation. Regardless of whether the district elects some or all board members from certain residence areas (sub-districts), all voters vote in each school board race up for election. As of 2022, 73% of the school districts in the state elected their school board members at large, while 21% elected their members from sub-districts, and the remaining 6% elected their members through a combination of both.
School districts coterminous with a city and county must have a seven-member board of education with one member elected from each of five director districts and two members elected from the district at large. As of 2022, Denver Public Schools was the only district coterminous with a city and county.
See law: C.R.S. 22-31-109 and C.R.S. 22-31-131
Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates
The school board candidate filing deadline is sixty-seven days before the election date.
See law: C.R.S. 22-31-107
School board candidates can circulate their nomination petitions starting when the filling window opens ninety days before the election, which is 23 days before the filing deadline.
See law: C.R.S. 22-31-107
Newly elected school board members are sworn into office no later than ten days after election results are certified.
See law: C.R.S. 22-31-125
About the district
School board
The School District 49 consists of five members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holly Withers | District 1 | 2025 | 2029 |
| Lori Thompson | District 4 | 2023 | 2029 |
| Mike Heil | District 5 | 2023 | 2027 |
| Marie LaVere-Wright | District 3 | 2023 | 2027 |
| Debra Schmidt | District 2 | 2023 | 2027 |
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District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $28,929,000 | $1,168 | 9% |
| Local: | $78,860,000 | $3,184 | 24% |
| State: | $222,738,000 | $8,994 | 67% |
| Total: | $330,527,000 | $13,346 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $290,012,000 | $11,710 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $251,248,000 | $10,144 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $129,115,000 | $5,213 | 45% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $27,834,000 | $1,123 | 10% |
| Administration: | $55,027,000 | $2,221 | 19% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $39,272,000 | $1,585 | 14% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $20,563,000 | $830 | |
| Construction: | $2,339,000 | $94 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $414,000 | $16 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $14,994,000 | $605 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 27 | 40-44 | 13 | 19 | 11-19 | 28 | 30 |
| 2020-2021 | 27 | 40-44 | 10-14 | 18 | <50 | 27 | 30 |
| 2018-2019 | 31 | 40-44 | 16 | 21 | 20-24 | 30 | 35 |
| 2017-2018 | 30 | 40-44 | 15 | 22 | 15-19 | 31 | 34 |
| 2016-2017 | 30 | 40-44 | 17 | 22 | 11-19 | 29 | 33 |
| 2015-2016 | 30 | 40-44 | 19 | 22 | 11-19 | 27 | 33 |
| 2014-2015 | 28 | 40-44 | 15 | 18 | 11-19 | 28 | 32 |
| 2013-2014 | 54 | 69 | 40 | 41 | 35-39 | 55 | 59 |
| 2012-2013 | 60 | 70 | 43 | 50 | 50-59 | 57 | 64 |
| 2011-2012 | 61 | 70 | 41 | 51 | 60-64 | 57 | 65 |
| 2010-2011 | 88 | 88 | 78 | 84 | 80-84 | 91 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 46 | 55-59 | 31 | 38 | 20-29 | 48 | 51 |
| 2020-2021 | 47 | 50-54 | 35-39 | 38 | <50 | 47 | 51 |
| 2018-2019 | 48 | 55-59 | 39 | 40 | 30-34 | 52 | 52 |
| 2017-2018 | 42 | 50-54 | 30 | 34 | 25-29 | 45 | 46 |
| 2016-2017 | 45 | 55-59 | 32 | 37 | 20-29 | 46 | 48 |
| 2015-2016 | 40 | 50-54 | 32 | 32 | 20-29 | 39 | 44 |
| 2014-2015 | 38 | 50-54 | 29 | 28 | 20-29 | 36 | 42 |
| 2013-2014 | 71 | 78 | 59 | 61 | 50-59 | 71 | 75 |
| 2012-2013 | 75 | 79 | 63 | 67 | 60-69 | 76 | 78 |
| 2011-2012 | 75 | 79 | 62 | 67 | 75-79 | 76 | 79 |
| 2010-2011 | 94 | 93 | 91 | 92 | >=95 | 95 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 56 | 75-79 | 65-69 | 43 | 30-39 | 60-64 | 63 |
| 2020-2021 | 52 | 60-64 | 50-54 | 38 | <=20 | 60-64 | 61 |
| 2019-2020 | 52 | 85-89 | 60-64 | 40 | 30-39 | 65-69 | 57 |
| 2018-2019 | 49 | 70-79 | 55-59 | 34 | 21-39 | 55-59 | 56 |
| 2017-2018 | 56 | 80-89 | 70-74 | 44 | 40-59 | 60-64 | 63 |
| 2016-2017 | 58 | >=90 | 65-69 | 42 | 40-49 | 70-74 | 66 |
| 2015-2016 | 61 | 60-69 | 65-69 | 47 | 21-39 | 65-69 | 69 |
| 2014-2015 | 57 | 70-79 | 60-64 | 42 | 21-39 | 65-69 | 64 |
| 2013-2014 | 64 | 80-89 | 65-69 | 45 | 60-79 | 75-79 | 72 |
| 2012-2013 | 90 | 80-89 | 80-84 | 90-94 | >=50 | 80-89 | 91 |
| 2011-2012 | 90 | >=90 | 85-89 | 85-89 | >=50 | 80-89 | 90 |
| 2010-2011 | 87 | 80-89 | 85-89 | 80-84 | >=50 | 89 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 24,867 | 1.4 |
| 2022-2023 | 24,517 | -1.0 |
| 2021-2022 | 24,766 | 3.2 |
| 2020-2021 | 23,984 | 0.4 |
| 2019-2020 | 23,890 | 6.2 |
| 2018-2019 | 22,397 | 4.2 |
| 2017-2018 | 21,448 | 2.9 |
| 2016-2017 | 20,834 | 1.3 |
| 2015-2016 | 20,561 | 4.9 |
| 2014-2015 | 19,552 | 3.4 |
| 2013-2014 | 18,880 | 18.0 |
| 2012-2013 | 15,478 | 2.7 |
| 2011-2012 | 15,063 | 2.4 |
| 2010-2011 | 14,708 | 2.1 |
| 2009-2010 | 14,398 | 5.4 |
| 2008-2009 | 13,616 | 6.1 |
| 2007-2008 | 12,783 | 4.1 |
| 2006-2007 | 12,256 | 12.9 |
| 2005-2006 | 10,680 | 5.7 |
| 2004-2005 | 10,072 | 14.0 |
| 2003-2004 | 8,660 | 9.3 |
| 2002-2003 | 7,854 | 12.0 |
| 2001-2002 | 6,915 | 12.9 |
| 2000-2001 | 6,026 | 9.4 |
| 1999-2000 | 5,457 | 0.0 |
| RACE | School District 49 (%) | Colorado K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.9 | 3.3 |
| Black | 4.9 | 4.6 |
| Hispanic | 31.7 | 35.9 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Two or More Races | 9.8 | 5.3 |
| White | 50.8 | 49.9 |
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.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]
As of the 2023-2024 school year, School District 49 had 1,364.61 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 18.22.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 20.76 |
| Kindergarten: | 106.51 |
| Elementary: | 547.97 |
| Secondary: | 689.37 |
| Total: | 1,364.61 |
School District 49 employed 37.72 district administrators and 109.56 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 37.72 |
| District Administrative Support: | 85.31 |
| School Administrators: | 109.56 |
| School Administrative Support: | 184.42 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 542.48 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 76.55 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 122.00 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 11.31 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 105.83 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 2.80 |
| Library/Media Support: | 13.05 |
| Student Support Services: | 214.18 |
| Other Support Services: | 248.08 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]
School board meetings
The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.
About school boards
Education legislation in Colorado
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2021-22 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed October 18, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
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