Letter to the Editor: May 11 school board elections are critical, so make your voice heard

In the landscape of elections, school boards often find themselves relegated to the background, with less engagement than the more expensive, better advertised political campaigns. But school board elections are one of the most critical ways for citizens to inform community-level decisions, including the allocation of resources and dollars.

Bottom line, Delaware voters: Save the date for school board elections May 11.

It’s not hyperbole to say that every single vote matters in these contests. Very few eligible voters cast ballots in school board elections. No candidate received more than 492 votes (and most received way less) since 2009. The average number of votes received by a school board candidate in an election from 2009-19 was a measly 200. We estimate that number represents about 3% of eligible voters in Delaware’s smallest district, Delmar. The school board in Delmar, however, was responsible for administering its share of the approximately $2.27 billion that Delaware spends on public education every year. We must do better.

Turnout might be higher if residents knew the important decisions school boards render in their own backyards. COVID-19 shone a bright light on the very real effects school board elections have on our communities. The pandemic sparked conversations about inequity in funding, achievement gaps and a crisis in early-childhood education. School boards play a role in each of those conversations.

Being an informed voter in school board elections means weighing in on:

• How the district budget is developed and implemented.
• The hiring and evaluation of district superintendents.
• Building standards and upkeep.
• The health of students, teachers and staff.
• School safety.
• Curriculum design.
• Access to technology.
• The annual school calendar and length of school days.
• Structural inequity.

Voting in school board elections holds school board members accountable to their constituents, which can number in the tens of thousands of local teachers, families and citizens. To learn about the 20 different school board seats that will be on the ballot in May, polling locations and absentee ballot information, go to https://elections.delaware.gov/information/elections/school.shtml. Twelve of those seats are contested, meaning that voters have research to do and the time to do it. These elections will inform the direction and quality of public education for our youngest residents. Let’s treat them with the same level of gravity and respect we give to other local and national elections. The consequences are equally, if not more, important.

On May 11, polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Decisions are made by those who show up.

Sarah Stowens

Program officer, Rodel