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Vouchers playing a big role in this year's Douglas County School Board election

Posted at 12:30 PM, Aug 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-06 19:21:45-04

DENVER -- Political reporter Marianne Goodland is keeping a close eye on at least half dozen school board elections in Colorado this year.

“Douglas County will clearly be the one to watch this year, not only in Colorado, but nationally,” she told Anne Trujillo on this weekend’s Politics Unplugged. “In Jefferson County, however, you have three members who are up for re-election this year after the recall in 2015 and they don’t have any opponents right now and you have the same similar situation in Thompson.”

Goodland says what makes the Douglas county race so popular is the voucher system. The U.S. Supreme Court sent the case back to the State Supreme Court which remanded it back to the district court.

“So, it starts the process all over again where it goes through District court, the state supreme court again, depending up on how the district court decides what to do with this,” she said.  “This voucher right now is hanging by one seat. You have a seven-member board in Douglas County. Four of the current board members were in favor of the vouchers, the other three were not. But the four who were in favor, their seats are up for re-election this year.  I’ve been told by those who are on the board, that if those who were opposed to the vouchers take just one more seat in this November’s election that will be the end of the voucher program.”

Politics Unplugged airs Sundays at 4:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Denver7.