Pro-Voucher Fat Cats Spent Big Bucks To Win School Board Seats

Recipe for disaster
The making of a morass in School District 11
by Cara DeGette

They said they wanted a revolution.
In 2003, with the help of a handful of wealthy school voucher advocates, Sandy Shakes, Eric Christen, Craig Cox and Willie Breazell seized the majority of the seven-member District 11 Board of Education.

The election was, by far, the most costly in the history of the district. Glossy mailers praising the four as reformers went out by the reams — even Gov. Bill Owens lent his endorsement. Other candidates were attacked as being "anti-parental rights" and "union-boss endorsed."

Altogether, an estimated $150,000 was spent getting the four elected, with $82,000 of that coming directly from the wallets of local developer and voucher advocate Steve Schuck and three wealthy Denver-area businessmen of like mind.

In the community, few at the time understood the extent of the intended "reforms." Yet shortly after the election, Christen made it clear that change would soon be underway.

Read more @ Colorado Springs Indy.