Jefferson County School Board: Witt, Williams, Newkirk Recalled

<p>(Jenny Brundin/CPR News)</p>
<p>The money being spent on the Jefferson County School Board recall may exceed $1 million. </p>
Photo: JeffCo Feature 2 Sides Recall School Board (STAFF)
The money being spent on the Jefferson County School Board recall may exceed $1 million.

Three conservatives elected to the Jefferson County School Board in 2013 -- John Newkirk, Julie Williams and Ken Witt -- have been recalled by voters. The discord in the state's second largest school district garnered national attention last year when the conservative-dominated board considered revising a new Advanced Placement U.S. history curriculum to emphasize patriotism.

Witt said the recall shows that "sometimes it's difficult being the tip of the spear enacting change." Williams tweeted her reaction:

Recalled #jeffco school board member Julie Williams: "this is about the union bosses and the liberal agenda" #jeffcorecall

Recall supporters also were upset at a decision to tie teacher pay increases to performance, rather than seniority. They also accused the trio of meeting privately before regular meetings to agree on policy — an allegation they denied. Students protested by walking out of school, and the race drew national news media attention, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations.

Be sure to tune into Colorado Matters Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. to hear a full recap on Election Day 2015: the measures that passed or failed, and what the results mean. Here's what we know so far tonight about ballot measures we've been following.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.