STATEWIDE, (WOWO) – Some Indiana Senate Republicans are pushing for a bill that would require school board members in Indiana to choose a political party, a departure from the historically nonpartisan nature of the position.
Senate Bill 287 is currently under consideration. If it becomes law, it would mandate that school board candidates register with a political party and go through a primary process.
Those who support it say this change would provide voters with a clearer understanding of the candidates’ ideologies. However, opponents, including current school board members, argue that partisan politics have no place in nonpartisan school boards and could detract from the focus on education.
One of the bill’s authors is State Senator Gary Byrne, a Republican from southern Indiana. He said he was on a school board for eight years and found it to be one of the more “partisan positions” he ever dealt with.
“To me, it’s already partisan, but it’s hidden. I think citizens should have the right to understand where they stand,” Byrne said in a meeting held by the Senate Committee on Elections Monday.
The Indiana Democratic Party released a statement about it. They said “partisan politics do not belong in our nonpartisan school boards.”
The bill is expected to undergo further review before a potential vote later this month.
1 comment
Good idea. Democrats don’t like it because they use the position to push their insane woke ideologies. I’d like to know if my school board members can define “woman” or if they understand that the notion of gender being “assigned at birth” is total nonsense. Do they believe that parents have the right to know what their children are being taught? As it is now, I have an extremely difficult time trying to find out what any of the candidates think and what they plan to do while in the job.