Ballotpedia Reports: How Hot-button Issues Affected Nov. 8 School Board Elections

Conflict issues break along existing party lines

MIDDLETON, Wis., Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the ongoing debate over what role school boards should play in the classroom and community, Ballotpedia has tracked and analyzed thousands of school board contests where candidates took stances on these topics:

Race in education/critical race theory: including the role of race in curricula and learning materials as well as district-specific equity and/or diversity plans.
Responses to the coronavirus pandemic: including mask requirements, vaccine requirements, and school re-opening or distance learning plans.
Sex and gender in schools: including sexual education curricula and learning materials as well as the usage of gender-specific facilities (restrooms, locker rooms, etc.).

Click here to view the full analysis.

• Election winner breakdown (support, oppose, unclear)
• Guidelines to group supporting or opposing winners
• Filtered views examining each conflict topic on its own
• A full list of districts included in this analysis
• And more to be added as final races are called

According to Ballotpedia staff writer Doug Kronaizl, "Identifying trends across thousands of school board races each year can be difficult. Where these conflict topics come up, two trends stand out: school board incumbents have a tougher time winning re-election, and voter behavior more closely mirrors presidential results."

Ballotpedia's final analysis of 1,779 seats across 545 local school board elections shows:

• Candidates who supported measures like equity plans, mask requirements, and gender inclusion won 40% of these seats.
• Candidates who opposed those policies won 30%.
• Candidates whose stances could not be identified won 27%.

"When it comes to supporting and opposing, it doesn't look like either side definitively came out on top," Kronaizl said, "but one group that had a tough night was, once again, the incumbents."

Continuing a trend observed in school board conflict elections on Nov. 2, 2021, and April 5, 2022, nearly one-third of incumbents lost to challengers on Nov. 8.

In Ballotpedia's regular school board coverage from 2018 to 2020, 18% of incumbents lost re-election, on average.

When we look at results through the lens of the 2020 presidential election, we see how pre-existing political realities affected these races.

Candidates supporting things like equity plans and mask requirements won 53% of seats in counties Joe Biden (D) won, while candidates opposing those policies won 42% of seats in counties Donald Trump (R) won.

Of all 718 winners we labeled supporting, 75% won in counties Biden carried. Of the 539 winners labeled opposing, 60% won in counties Trump carried.

Ballotpedia's election teams are publishing their reporting and analysis of the 2022 elections on Ballotpedia.org, in Ballotpedia's flagship newsletter, "The Daily Brew," and at our Election Analysis Hub.

Ballotpedia's data, tools, and infographics are always available to use and publish, with attribution.

Ballotpedia—the encyclopedia of American politics—is America's most trusted source of unbiased information on politics, elections, and policy. Founded in 2007, Ballotpedia has grown from a small group of dedicated volunteers to an essential resource for voters, media, and researchers. Ballotpedia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the public interest in creating an educated, engaged electorate and building a strong, healthy democracy. For free access to more than 380,000 professionally authored articles, visit Ballotpedia.org.

SOURCE Ballotpedia