The majority of voters in rural school districts think Colorado’s public education system is headed in the wrong direction, and they have ideas to fix it, according to Colorado polling data released last week.

The 2025 Colorado Public Education Opinion Survey compared voter perceptions of the state’s public education system, including opinions on the overall direction and effectiveness of Colorado’s public schools.

The public opinion poll, which surveyed 1,078 registered voters in Colorado during the month of October, was paid for and conducted by Magellan Strategies, a Colorado-based polling firm. The survey data was weighted to represent the state’s voter registration demographics and had a margin of error of 2.98%.

Amid climbing graduation rates and expanding technical and career programs, discourse remains surrounding educator retention and school districts’ spending of taxpayer dollars, splitting the public’s opinion of where the state of public education currently stands.

Republicans, rural residents want change in the classroom

Roughly 57% of both parents and non-parents across the state believe Colorado’s public education system is on the wrong track, compared to 29% who said it’s headed in the right direction and the 14% that have no opinion.

The majority of voters with critical views of the education system were Republicans and those living in rural districts, with 83% and 74% of each group, respectively, saying they felt public education was headed on the wrong track. Respondents cited long-time concerns like low teacher retention, low pay for non-administration roles and declining academic standards, as well as more political arguments.

One survey respondent from Garfield County identifying as a Republican reasoned that “there is too much focus on things that are not education,” while others called for a return “back to the basics” and away from identity politics.

The majority of unaffiliated voters, 55%, agreed. One such voter from Routt County said she felt financial resources were being “squandered away” on things that didn’t benefit students’ education.

Meanwhile, those with more positive attitudes toward public education were Democrats, with 43% saying the education system was headed in the right direction compared to the 35% who disagreed.

“They have the ideas, just no federal funding,” wrote an unaffiliated voter from Pitkin County.

Respondents from both Eagle and Routt counties identified the shortage of school counselors and psychologists, low educator salaries, and high student-to-teacher ratios as issues they would like to see addressed, especially as more teachers seem to be considering leaving the field.

Across demographics, Colorado voters that had one or more current students in their household were more pessimistic (65% said education was on the wrong track) than those without students (53%).

Respondents were slightly more lenient when asked about their own local districts, with 44% disapproving of the way they’re educating students and 42% approving. Once again, a larger percentage of rural respondents had unfavorable views of local direction compared to those from urban, suburban or small towns.

“Across the board, these findings reveal widespread concern about the direction of Colorado’s education system but a more balanced view of local school performance, reflecting higher trust in neighborhood schools and educators than in the system statewide,” the report states.

When asked to identify their top priorities for improving public schools in 2025, the majority of Coloradans — even more than in 2023 — said attracting and retaining high-quality teachers was the most important thing, followed closely by increasing teacher pay to keep up with the cost of living. 

Support for increased funding

“They are doing a good job with the resources they have, resources are the problem,” wrote an anonymous Democrat voter from Eagle County. He wasn’t the only one to think districts — both rural and urban — would benefit from additional funding.

A notable 60% of Colorado voters indicated that additional funding for public schools would improve students’ education. Roughly 90% of Democrats polled said they agree with this while 69% of Republicans disagreed. Roughly 36% of all respondents disagreed overall.

Residents in rural districts were the least likely to be in favor of boosted funding, with the “nay” side leading by one percentage point. Urban, suburban and small town residents all had a majority of respondents say they felt additional funding would lead to better education in the state.

When asked whether their local school district currently has enough financial resources to provide students with a good education, 53% said no, while 40% said yes and 7% were unsure.

Responses were narrowed even further when voters were asked if they felt their local district was spending taxpayer money effectively. Just shy of half said no, once again led by the majority of rural residents. Parents with children currently in the school system were more likely to respond positively, though a majority still responded with the rest.

Support for increased funding

Despite a majority of Coloradans expressing a dislike for the direction of public schools, approval is slightly higher than it was in 2023, rising from 39% to 42%. This improvement in public sentiment suggests that statewide and local initiatives have quelled at least some concerns, according to the report.

Additionally, support for the direction of local school districts is highest in Congressional Districts 2 and 3 (39% and 36%, respectively), which cover Colorado’s Western Slope. 

Among survey respondents who said their local schools were acting responsibly and moving in the right direction came a strong praise for teachers and staff, many of whom were credited with going “above and beyond” to support students despite limited pay and resources.

Parents across the state also reported being happy with districts’ open communication with families and improved student outcomes, including on test scores and graduation rates. In Western Slope counties specifically, parents mentioned appreciation for their districts’ efforts toward inclusivity, particularly for students whose first language was not English.

“Our kids attend a public bilingual elementary school that is well-run and inclusive. We are grateful for that educational opportunity,” wrote a democrat voter from Summit County.