KEEP POLITICS OUT OF THE SCHOOLHOUSE

Two years ago, our ICPE co- founder and author of Vic’s Statehouse Notes, Dr. Vic Smith, wrote about similar bills:

“Making school boards partisan is a bad idea. It would further divide our state into partisan camps and create partisan controversies and ill-will in the boards running public schools that serve all children.

This proposal comes from the same Republican party that in 2017 and again in 2019 passed bills to appoint rather than elect the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, an elective office for 166 years, saying at the time that politics should be taken out of K-12 education.

How quickly they forget.” (Vic’s Statehouse Notes #371)

Two years ago, ICPE Lobbyist, Joel Hand testified in opposition to partisan school boards. Watch that video here.  

It’s Groundhog Day all over again. Two bills, SB287 and HB1230, have been filed this session to make school boards partisan. ISBA (Indiana School Boards Association) expects for them to be heard. It’s time to call or write messages (see the list of email addresses at the bottom of this post) to the elections committees and speak up for why you want school board candidates to stay non-partisan. Here are some of our concerns below.

• We must leave politics out of public education. Kids should be the focus.
• Many highly qualified school board candidates would run in a non-partisan election but would not get involved if they had to run in a partisan election as members of a party.
• School board members should be accountable to their community and not political party bosses.
• The partisan majority on the school board would soon establish a partisan test for selecting a superintendent who might then do the same in hiring administrators.
• Keeping nonpartisan school board candidates forces voters to make an informed decision, focusing on qualifications, instead of just following the party line.

Here are the two bills:

1. SB 287 School Board Matters (Author: Senator Byrne; Co-Author: Senator Doriot) – Requires candidates for school board offices to be nominated in the same manner as candidates for all other elected offices are nominated, including a primary election and party affiliation identification on the ballot. The bill also modifies the annual amount that the governing body of a school corporation may pay a member of the governing body from $2,000 (under current law) to an amount not to exceed 10% of the lowest starting salary of a teacher employed by the school corporation.

This bill is being heard on Monday morning, February 3rd!

Senate Bill 287 Creating Partisan School Boards is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Elections Committee on Monday around 9:30 a.m. (in Room 233 of the Statehouse). You have 2 minutes to testify against this bill.

Please reach out immediately to your state senator and members of the Senate Elections Committee to urge them to vote “NO” on SB 287. Adding a primary election and making school board races a lengthy and costly process will further narrow the pool of qualified candidates for an office that is minimally paid (maximum of $2,000 annually)

Senate Elections Committee

Sen. Mike Gaskill (Chairperson): mike.gaskill@iga.in.gov

Sen. Greg Walker: greg.walker@iga.in.gov

Sen. Stacey Donato: stacey.donato@iga.in.gov

Sen. Greg Goode: greg.goode@iga.in.gov

Sen. Tyler Johnson: tyler.johnson@iga.in.gov

Sen. Linda Rogers: linda.rogers@iga.in.gov

Sen. Daryl Schmitt: daryl.schmitt@iga.in.gov

Sen. J.D. Ford: jd.ford@iga.in.gov

Sen. Mark Spencer: mark.spencer@iga.in.gov

2. HB 1230 School Board Elections (Author: Rep. J.D. Prescott; Co-Authors: Reps. Doug Miller, Robert Heaton, and Michelle Davis). This bill provides that for school board offices, each candidate’s affiliation with a political party or status as an independent candidate must be stated on the general election ballot but does not add a primary election or address school board member compensation.

Please reach out now with your state representative to urge them to vote “NO” on HB 1230. Also, please consider communication asking for a “NO” vote from members of the House Elections & Apportionment Committee.

House Elections and Apportionment Committee

Rep. Timothy Wesco (Chairperson): h21@iga.in.gov

Rep. Zach Payne: h66@iga.in.gov

Rep. Kendell Culp: h16@iga.in.gov

Rep. Ethan Lawson: h53@iga.in.gov

Rep. Kyle Pierce: h36@iga.in.gov

Rep. J.D. Prescott: h33@iga.in.gov

Rep. Jim Pressel: h20@iga.in.gov