Accountability in School Board Elections
Increasing Voter Turnout. Empowering Parents.
Nationwide, more than 96 percent of school board members are elected. But here’s the problem: In 37 states, some or all school board elections are held “off cycle.”
What does that mean? That means they are not held during major statewide elections, such as on Election Day in November—leading to much lower voter turnout that only serves special interests.
At a time when parents are rightly demanding accountability for how their children are taught, state policymakers should respond by moving school board elections to Election Day.
How well do you know your school board candidate?
Take our quiz to find out!
Question 1
Do you know who your school board member is?
Question 2
Do you know what their values are?
Question 3
Do you know how to hold them accountable?
Accountability starts with you.
Parents, taxpayers, and legislators alike should demand accountability for school spending and policies. There are effective solutions that will help boost voter turnout and increase engagement in school board elections.
GET INFORMEDTo further strengthen school board elections, policymakers should:
- Require school board candidates to declare their party affiliation.
- Impose term limits for school board members.
- Eliminate staggered terms for school board members.
-
research
North Carolina Is Evidence of Why School Board Candidates Should Declare Party Affiliation
Politics can’t be excluded from schools; non-partisan school board elections don’t stop political influence but can misalign voter and board priorities.
READ MORE -
blog
Moving School Board Elections Away From Major Election Cycles Isn’t Reform—It’s Manipulation
In Northern Virginia, the Alexandria City School Board is considering some major changes to the way it holds its elections. One of the most striking proposed reforms is shifting school board elections away from federal and state-level election cycles.
READ MORE -
research
Off Cycle, Out of Mind: Why School Board Elections Should Be Held With Statewide Elections
States that have moved school board elections on cycle have seen significant increases in voter turnout.
READ MORE -
one-pager
Strengthening School Board Elections
Local school board elections can have wide-reaching and lasting implications for taxpayers and students alike.
READ MORE
School Board Elections Should Be On Election Day
OP-ED
By Tarren Bragdon and Jonathan Bain
In 37 states, school board elections aren’t held in conjunction with statewide or national elections. This strange system was deliberately created to give special interests an advantage, since voter turnout is much lower at other times of the year. That’s especially concerning at a time when parents are demanding greater control over their kids’ education. For the sake of democracy and accountability, states should move these critical elections to coincide with regular election days.
Our Ensuring Fair and Transparent Elections Solutions
Our Ensuring Fair and Transparent Elections Experts
At FGA, we don’t just talk about changing policy—we make it happen.
By partnering with FGA through a gift, you can create more policy change that returns America to a country where entrepreneurship thrives, personal responsibility is rewarded, and paychecks replace welfare checks.