A new Indiana law, starting today, allows school board candidates to list their political affiliation on the ballot.
Candidates may choose to register with a political party, as independents or not disclose any affiliation. Those who do not select will have a blank space next to their name and straight-ticket voting will not apply to school board races. Those opposed to the new law said it injects unnecessary politics into a role traditionally focused on education.
Leslie Jacobs, a school board member for the Fayette County School Corporation in Connersville, is against the new law.
“In my 10 years, I couldn’t tell you the political leanings of anybody on my board. Never comes up,” Jacobs explained. “Our discussions are purely about educational opportunities, picking a superintendent, looking at budget.”
She warned requiring party labels might discourage qualified candidates from running. Supporters of the new law said it increases transparency.
Jennifer Blackburn, a school board member for the East Allen County Schools near Fort Wayne, also opposes the new law.
“The scenario that there are four candidates potentially running and three are Democrat, one is a Republican — this last school board election — none of us were opposed,” Blackburn pointed out. “As big as our county is, there are not a lot of people running.”
The law will first affect school board elections in November.
5 comments
School boards have been non partisan in name only. Look at how many school board members are retired union teachers. Which side of the political aisle are they on? Who do they advocate for? Parents? Students? NOPE, they advocate for their own pocket books.
They should be required to list their political affiliation.
Exactly. There shouldn’t be an option for “blank’.
There might not have been labels, but school boards are EXTREMELY political and it’s time voters had the tools to discern the good from the bad.
It seems like every time there is a “bad” idea, it comes from someone who votes in lockstep with a certain party. One that also shares a letter grade with the schools..
NO!!
School board should be about making and keeping
Good Schools. Hence the name SCHOOL Board.
Keep your politics out of schools and stop trying to force your politics into the classroom.
Marti, the Dems have been forcing their politics into the classroom for decades, policies that most people do not approve of. Forcing the Dems to declare who they are will give voters the tools they need to bring a halt to this practice.
This will actually STOP forcing politics into the classroom and refocus the school boards on education instead of wokeism.