Colorado, Minnesota voters approve school funding measures

As of 2:27 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026

Voters in Colorado and Minnesota approved statewide measures on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to send more money to public schools, and Wisconsin voters passed most of the larger school-funding referendums on local ballots, according to Associated Press race calls, election officials and unofficial returns. None of the results has been certified.

Colorado Proposition NN

The AP called Proposition NN at 11:23 p.m. Tuesday, when it was leading with 55.3% of the vote to 44.7%, The Colorado Sun reported. The measure lets the state keep tax revenue that would otherwise be refunded under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, or TABOR, and spend it on schools and children's programs. It lifts the state spending cap by $4.6 billion, effectively ending TABOR refunds indefinitely, according to the Sun.

The first dollars go to a 2% annual increase in K-12 funding, about $107 million in the first year. For the next decade, at least half of all retained money must go to K-12 schools, and the rest can go to programs such as preschool and child care. The measure is expected to raise $330 million for schools this budget year and $521 million in 2027-28. In the first year, that is projected to cut refunds by $28 for a single filer earning $100,000, the Sun reported.

The main committee backing it, Yes for Colorado Kids, raised about $10 million, including $7 million from the National Education Association. The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and the conservative committee Brighter Colorado spent against it. "Every penny counts," Robyn Jones, a Colorado Springs voter who opposed it because she relies on her refund, told the Sun.

Minnesota Amendment 1

Minnesota voters approved Amendment 1, with nearly 73% of the estimated 2.8 million voters voting yes, according to election officials cited by CBS Minnesota. The measure received 2,034,488 yes votes and 652,045 no votes, KTTC reported.

The amendment raises what schools receive from the Permanent School Fund, which is built on timber and mining lease revenue from state trust land, from about 2.5% of the fund's value to 4.5%, MPR News reported. That means about $33 more per student, without raising taxes, starting July 1, 2027. Duluth schools will gain $280,000 and Minneapolis nearly $1 million, according to MPR. "It is nothing to sneeze at," Duluth Superintendent John Magas said.

Wisconsin school referendums

Wisconsin had 83 school referendums on the ballot, Spectrum News 1 reported. Among the larger ones, according to unofficial results:

• Green Bay Area Public School District: a $158 million, four-year operating referendum passed with about 54% yes, NBC 26 reported.
• Brown Deer: a $35 million building referendum passed 52.26% to 47.74%, and a $2.8 million-a-year operating referendum passed 51.23% to 48.77%, WUWM reported.
• Elmbrook: a $100 million facilities referendum passed, 16,478 votes (61.2%) to 10,444, The Freeman reported.
• Whitefish Bay: a $90 million referendum to rebuild and renovate the middle school and upgrade other buildings passed with more than 63% yes, Spectrum News 1 reported.
• Waunakee: both questions passed, a $10.5 million operating referendum and a $97.5 million bond for school improvements, Spectrum News 1 reported.
• Oconomowoc Area School District: a $12.2 million operating referendum failed, with 11,414 votes (56%) against and 8,920 in favor, the Oconomowoc Enterprise reported. The district had said the money would close expected budget deficits.