Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #135

By

Ballotpedia staff

Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving  school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. 

In today’s edition, you’ll find:

  • On the issues: The debate over providing public education for students residing in the U.S. without legal permission 
  • In your district: High school graduation exam requirements
  • Voters approve all five school board recalls on Nov. 5 ballot
  • Voters elected 11 governors this year—here’s where they stand on K-12 education
  • Extracurricular: education news and numbers from around the web
  • Candidate Connection survey

Reply to this email to share reactions or story ideas!

On the issues: The debate over providing public education to students residing in the U.S. without legal permission

In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school board members deliberate when they set out to offer the best education possible in their district. Missed an issue? Click here to see the previous education debates we’ve covered.

Although there are no exact figures on the number of minors residing in the U.S. without legal permission, estimates put the number at more than 850,000. In many cases, those children enroll in and receive education services from public schools. In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Plyler v. Doe that public schools cannot use immigration status as a basis for denying enrollment. 

Districts in New York City, Boston, Denver, and elsewhere have seen an increase in recent years in the number of noncitizen students, prompting school leaders to seek more funding from state and federal lawmakers and adding to a broader debate about the immigration system. Some localities allow noncitizens to vote in school board elections. 

Tara Sonenshine writes that children who immigrate illegally tend to work hard and enrich classroom cultures. Sonenshine says educating immigrant children sets them up to benefit America in the long run, helping them become effective producers and consumers capable of supporting the country’s economic growth.

Madison Doan, Matthew Kuckelman, Lindsey Burke, and Lora Ries write that providing education for students who immigrated illegally creates a harmful financial strain for schools and states. They also say practical difficulties, such as accommodating non-English-speaking children, negatively affect teachers and classrooms. 

When it comes to educating immigrant children, the benefits outweigh the costs | Tara D. Sonenshine, The Hill

“[S]tudies show immigrant students to be highly motivated and well behaved when teachers are prepared and trained to receive them. And there are numerous success stories of immigrant children enriching classrooms and bringing cultural awareness that benefits everyone. Immigrant children also become part of a cycle that benefits both the host country and the sending nation. … Young immigrant students grow up to contribute to America’s economic growth in two ways: by working and by spending. Their presence in unexpectedly high numbers ‘explains some of the surprising strength in consumer spending and overall economic growth since 2022,’ according to the New Yorker. ‘Without positive net migration, the U.S. population is projected to begin shrinking by about 2040.’  … We are a nation of immigrants. We made a promise to educate every child. Let’s keep it.”

The Consequences of Unchecked Illegal Immigration on America’s Public Schools | Madison Marino Doan, Matthew Kuckelman, Lindsey Burke, and Lora Ries, The Heritage Foundation

“Nationwide, the CBP encountered 145,474 accompanied and unaccompanied minors in FY 2023. Based on the national average spending of $16,345 per student, if each such child enrolled in public school in FY 2023, it would increase national education spending by more than $2 billion for one year. … [T]here are also concerns of misuse of school property, classroom management, and English proficiency. Each of these affect learning and academic performance. … At two Texas high schools in the Austin Independent School District, teachers were forced to instruct students in hallways and conference rooms to accommodate the 400-plus migrant children who were recently enrolled. New York Public Schools have had to absorb some 20,000 migrant children for the 2023–2024 school year. … Unaccompanied children arriving in the U.S. typically do not speak English. This poses additional challenges for teachers, who must then navigate classroom instruction and classroom management issues with children who may not understand content or instructions.”

In your district: High school graduation exam requirements

We want to hear what’s happening in your school district. Please complete the very brief survey below—anonymously, if you prefer—and we may share your response with fellow subscribers in an upcoming newsletter.

On Nov. 5, Massachusetts voters approved Question 2 59-41%. The measure repeals the requirement that students achieve a certain competency level on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam in 10th grade to graduate high school. On Nov. 4, New York’s state education department announced a tentative plan to drop the statewide Regents exams as a graduation requirement beginning in the 2027-28 school year (the Board of Regents must approve the plan for it to go into effect). 

Currently, seven states—including New York—require students to pass a statewide assessment to graduate high school. That number has fallen from the mid-2000s, when 27 states had statewide assessment graduation requirements in place. 

The other states with requirements are Florida, Ohio, Louisiana, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia. 

What is your opinion on high school graduation exam requirements? 

Click here to respond!

Voters approve all five school board recalls on Nov. 5 ballot

Voters weighed in on whether to recall school board members in California, Idaho, and Michigan on Nov. 5. Voters successfully recalled all members on the ballot. 

Voters recalled all school board members on the ballot on Election Day in November in 2020, 2022, and 2023. Voters rejected recalls against four members on Nov. 2, 2021. 

Click here to listen to our recent podcast on recalls in California and this year’s broader recall landscape.

California: The recalls were held in the Reef-Sunset Unified School District.

  • Claudia Cazares, Lilia Rizo, and Lissette Padilla were on the ballot. Cazares and Padilla resigned from the board before the election but their names remained on the ballot. According to election results issued on Nov. 8, all three recalls were approved with more than 70% of the vote.
  • Recall supporters said the three candidates said they failed “to prioritize the education of our children.”
  • The Reef-Sunset Unified School District is the 592nd largest district in the state, with roughly 2,800 students. 

Idaho: The recall was held in the Marsh Valley Joint School District. 

  • According to unofficial results, voters approved the recall of Kathy Egan with 71% of the vote. The reasons for recall listed on the ballot were “poor performance of the school district, declining enrollment, poor financial oversight.” Egan said the financial issues facing the district were common for rural school districts in the state and said she “always felt like the best interest of the students was my goal.”
  • Marsh Valley is the 44th-largest district in Idaho, with an estimated 1,200 students. 

Michigan: The recall was held in the Onaway Area Community School District. 

  • Board of Education member John Palmer faced candidate Lain Veihl. According to unofficial results, Veihl won the election with 53% of the vote.
  • Palmer’s behavior as a board member was listed as a reason for recall on the petition, including a comment he allegedly made in reference to the LGBTQ+ community: “If this is your preference, good for you. It doesn’t belong here. Keep it at home.” Before the recall election, Palmer said, “I want to remain on this school board so that I may represent the voice of this district and keep our school going in a positive direction.”
  • Onaway is the 112th-largest district in the state, with an estimated 561 members.

The numbers: Ballotpedia has tracked 37 recall efforts against 78 school board members in 2024. One more recall election is scheduled for Dec. 17. So far, voters have removed 11 members from office and retained seven. 

Where voters can recall school board members: Twenty-three states allow for the recall of school board members. Overall, voters can recall officials in at least some offices in 39 states. 

Learn more: Ballotpedia has identified 223 recall efforts against 345 officials across all office types this year. You can find our Mid-Year Recall Report, released in June, here. Later this year, Ballotpedia will release its 2024 Recall Analysis looking back at all recalls. 

Voters elected 11 governors this year—here’s where they stand on K-12 education

There were gubernatorial elections in 11 states on Nov. 5. Governors play an important role in setting education priorities. They often set a vision for education in their annual state of the state addresses and propose budgets that include education financing. In many states, governors appoint the education secretary and board of education members. 

Here’s a look at some of the education themes the winning gubernatorial candidates ran on this last year. 

Political context: Voters elected governors in Delaware, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia. 

Private school choice—programs providing taxpayer funding for private education expenses—was a prominent theme in Republican campaigns. 

  • Indiana: The first plank of Governor-elect Mike Braun’s (R) education plan states: “Universal School Choice for Every Hoosier Family – Expand school choice programs, reform the Choice Scholarship Program, and double the Education Scholarship Account Program for families with special needs.” Braun also supported public school open enrollment policies, allowing students to enroll in schools or districts outside of their attendance zones. 
  • New Hampshire: Governor-elect Kelly Ayotte (R) said, “I’m a strong believer in education freedom, and the reason for that is that every child learns differently. And parents know what is best for their children, and we want to give every child in this state the opportunity to go to the school or the educational setting that is best for them.” Ayotte’s campaign website said she would “enthusiastically work to pass and sign the Parental Bill of Rights. Parents have a right to decide what is best for their child – period.”
  • Missouri Governor-elect Mike Kehoe (R) and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey also supported expanding school choice programs, including charter schools. 

The soon-to-be Democratic governors campaigned on increasing funding for schools and early childhood education. 

  • Delaware: Governor-elect Matt Meyer (D), a former math teacher, said, “we must invest more in Delaware’s public education system and distribute resources more equitably, according to student need to support low-income students, students with disabilities, and English Language Learners.” Meyer called for spending an additional $3,400 to $6,400 per student and promised to “provide universal access to pre-K throughout the state by the end of my first term.”
  • Washington: Governor-elect Bob Ferguson’s (D) education plan called for fully funding special education, lowering the threshold required for districts to pass a bond, and “guaranteeing access to pre-K for every 4-year-old in the state improves equity by ensuring a child’s ZIP code or socioeconomic status does not predetermine their educational outcomes.”
  • North Carolina: Governor-elect Josh Stein (D) supported increasing funding, saying “North Carolina spends less than nearly all other states in the nation on public school funding as a share of our state’s economy – 49th out of 50!” He also said, “We must increase access to high-quality early childhood education so kids start kindergarten healthy and ready to learn.”

Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates supported increasing teacher pay, developing better college and career readiness programs, and limiting cellphones in schools. 

  • Montana: Returning Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) has advocated for $100 million to increase starting teacher pay. In 2023, Gianforte signed three bills to support internships, apprenticeships, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in high schools. 
  • North Carolina: Stein said he supported making teacher starting salaries higher than neighboring states and paying high-performing teachers $100,000 a year. Stein said he opposed allowing students to access their smartphones during the school day. 
  • Utah: Gov. Spencer Cox (R) ran on legislation he signed that increased teacher pay by $6,000. He said the state was “creating new partnerships with the private  sector to help provide job training, apprenticeships and exposure for our middle and high school students to a range of career options.” Cox also encouraged schools to block students from using their phones during the school day. 

Early next year, governors across the country will flesh out their education plans and priorities in their state of the state addresses and budget proposals they submit to lawmakers. 

Click here to read previous addresses going back to 1990.  

Extracurricular: education news from around the web

This section contains links to recent education-related articles from around the internet. If you know of a story we should be reading, reply to this email to share it with us! 

Take our Candidate Connection survey to reach voters in your district

This year, 564 school board candidates in 397 districts across the country completed our Candidate Connection survey. Throughout the year, we’ve featured many of these responses in this newsletter, giving you a look at the issues animating candidates and the themes around which these local elections have revolved.

Today, we’re highlighting surveys from two candidates who won in elections on Nov. 5.

Greta Callahan defeated Lara Bergman 62-38% in the general election for Minneapolis Board of Education District 6, in Minnesota. Minneapolis Public Schools is the third-largest in the state, with an estimated 35,000 students. 

Here’s how Callahan answered the question, “What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?”

“The board is responsible for governance, policy, directing the superintendent’s work, and ensuring that we have a strong MPS where students, families, and educators want to be. This involves creating and maintaining relationships with all levels of staff at MPS and with our constituents in Minneapolis. This also involves true co-creation of plans that will impact students, families, educators, and staff.”

Click here to read the rest of Callahan’s responses. 

Denise Morrison defeated Dustin Creager and Benny Kinsey in the general election for Klein Independent School District, Position 4, in Texas. Klein is the 15th-largest district in Texas, with an estimated student population of around 53,000 students. 

Here’s how Morrison answered the questions, “What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?”

“I believe creativity of the teacher to keep the students engaged is key. For instance, Texas History can be done with recreating a model map of the battles to win it freedom from Mexico. Teach math problems where it might be used. Fractions are used in the technical trades all the time – so teach them knowing how they will use it. It can be measured by the success of the students, and how students respond to the teachers. I want the teachers to be able to teach – the tests will take care of themselves if the students just learn the information.”

Click here to read the rest of Morrison’s responses. 

In the 2022 election cycle, 6,087 candidates completed our survey. 
The survey contains more than 30 questions, and you can choose the ones you feel will best represent your views to voters. If you complete the survey, a box with your answers will display on your Ballotpedia profile. Your responses will also appear in our sample ballot.