Eleven candidates competing for four open seats on the Denver school board have raised a combined $419,583 — far less than the record sums seen in the 2023 race, campaign finance reports show.

That total is roughly 40% less than the $697,100 the 13 candidates who ran two years ago brought in.

The average haul for each candidate this year was about $38,100, compared to $53,600 in 2023.

Caron Blanke, 51, raked in the largest take with $73,912.

Blanke is running to fill the District 3 seat being vacated by Denver Public Schools Board President Carrie Olson, who cannot run again because of term limits.

Director Michelle Quattlebaum, 54, collected the least — $8,777.

Quattlebaum is seeking reelection for District 4 in Denver’s Far Northeast, which encompasses Montbello, a historically Black and Latino neighborhood, and the Gateway neighborhood near Denver International Airport.

With four of seven seats on the ballot next week, the election could reshape the board and chart a new course for the state’s largest district.

Money can make all the difference.

About 70% of the time, candidates backed by the teachers’ union get elected, a recent study has found.

That wasn’t the case the last go around.

Voters rejected the candidates the union endorsed two years ago — Kwame Spearman and then directors Scott Baldermann and Charmaine Lindsay.

The union had contributed roughly $59,300 to their campaigns.

This election cycle, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) contributed roughly $79,100 to the four candidates the union endorsed: Amy Klein Molk, Donald “DJ” Torres, Xóchitl Gaytán and Monica Hunter.

The union represents roughly 4,200 teachers across the district.

The 2023 election saw an infusion of cash that doesn’t typically characterize school board races.

Backed by Denver Families Action, the political arm of Denver Families for Public Schools, Better Leaders, Stronger Schools spent more than $1 million — including $250,000 on a TV ad with Denver Mayor Mike Johnston — to help elect directors John Youngquist, Kimberlee Sia and Marlene De La Rosa.

This election cycle, Better Leaders, Stronger Schools pulled in $718,800.  The organization has endorsed Alex Magaña (at large), Mariana Del Hierro (District 2), Blanke (District 3) and Timiya Jackson (District 4).

The public has been deeply critical of the board for a series of perceived missteps that included school closures, gun violence an executive session the court ruled illegal, as well as the new contract extension for Superintendent Alex Marrero.

Denver voters face a choice from a roster of newcomers and familiar names vying for a say in the district’s future. From educators to community organizers, the candidates in the race offer different visions for how to tackle Denver’s challenges.

Here is a complete list of campaign contributions as the of the latest filing:

Michelle Quattlebaum (I) (District 4) — $8,777

Alex Magaña (At large) — $58,846

Amy Klein Molk(At large) — $71,426

Mariana Del Hierro (District 2) — $21,660

Xóchitl Gaytán (I) (District 2) — $41,679

Caron Blanke (District 3) — $73,912

Scott Esserman(District 3) — $19,393

Donald “DJ” Torres(District 3) — $55,459

Jeremy Harris (District 4) — $30,615

Monica Hunter (District 4) — $8,140  (Editor’s note: The amount is less than what was contributed. The Denver Gazette reached out to Hunter for comment, but had not gotten a reply as of this story’s publication.)

Timiya Jackson (District 4) — $29,676

Source: Colorado Secretary of State’s Office