Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #147

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 Trump’s authority to close the Department of Education 
  • School board filing deadlines, election results, and recall certifications
  • McMahon, confirmed as education secretary, says she will work with Congress to dissolve U.S. Department of 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

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.

The debate over Trump’s authority to close the Department of Education

On March 11, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) announced it was cutting roughly 1,300 employees—nearly half the workforce. This comes on the heels of a proposed executive order that directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all steps within the boundaries of the law to close the U.S. Department of Education. As of this writing, President Donald Trump (R) had not signed that order. 

Does President Trump have the authority to close the agency through an executive order?

Justin Haskins argues that the DOE and many of its functions are unconstitutional, so Trump’s executive order could close it without congressional approval. Haskins says the Constitution does not give Congress power over state and local education programs, so Trump is obligated to close it.

Parisa Akbarpour argues the Constitution doesn’t give the president authority to unilaterally close federal agencies. Akbarpour said the order could propose a reorganization plan suggesting the relocation of the department’s functions to other agencies but said it would require congressional approval.

Read on

Trump has a constitutional obligation to eliminate the Department of Education | Justin Haskins, The Hill

“Ordinarily, the president does not have the authority to close parts of the federal government that have been established by Congress. But in the case of the Department of Education, Trump has every right to act, because Congress had no authority in the first place to empower the department with most of its current programs…if Trump believes the department’s activities are in violation of the Constitution, then he is obligated to shut them down.”

Can Trump abolish the Department of Education? We VERIFY. | Parisa Akbarpour, WTSP

“[T]he president does not have unilateral power to abolish a federal agency. Only Congress can do so through legislation. … The executive order could direct the Department of Education to create a reorganization plan that would suggest how it could pass off operations to other agencies, effectively resulting in its abolishment. That plan would be forwarded to Congress, which could decide on whether to vote on its passage.”

In your district: Reader responses to misconceptions about school boards

We recently asked readers the following question:

What is the most common misconception you encounter about school boards?

Thank you to all who responded. Today, we’re sharing a handful of those responses. We’ll return next month with another reader question. Click here to see all responses to this question, as well as to view older surveys. 

A school board member from Montana wrote:

The most common misconception that I encounter is that we as a school board constantly deal with hot social/political topics rather than the actual unsexy topics where 99% of our time goes—such as student data, school finances, and policies/procedures that keep the school running.

A parent in Georgia wrote:

That they actually want to do what’s best for the children. They don’t. In my county, they push right wing propaganda.

A school board member from Rhode Island wrote:

That we don’t have the children’s best intention as part of our work, or that we are a rubber stamp for the school administration.

A board member in Ohio wrote:

Biggest misconception is that our school board members have anything to do with hiring   teachers and staff. A funny one I often get is the thought that we have something to do with calling “Snow Days” or days off.

A board member in Arizona wrote:

That school board members receive a salary.

A community member from Delaware wrote:

The idea that school boards work FOR the superintendent, not the other way.

A board member from New York wrote:

That speaking with one voice means there was no disagreement or discussion around topics

A board member from Pennsylvania wrote:

That spring taxes are school tax when instead they are taxes levied by the county. Also the school district is viewed as a “cash cow” by many entities who want to over charge the district for services.

School board update: filing deadlines, election results, and recall certifications

In 2025, Ballotpedia will cover elections for more than 30,000 school board seats. We’re expanding our coverage each year with our eye on covering the country’s more than 80,000 school board seats.    

Upcoming school board elections

The map below shows the states where Ballotpedia will be covering school board elections:

  • April 1—Alaska, Illinois, Oklahoma, (general elections), Wisconsin (general elections)
  • April 8—Missouri and Nebraska
  • May 3—Texas
  • May 6—Montana
  • May 13—Arkansas and Delawar

Click here for more information on upcoming elections in your state.

McMahon, confirmed as education secretary, says she will work with Congress to dissolve U.S. Department of Education

On March 3, the U.S. Senate voted 51-45 to confirm Linda McMahon as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). McMahon, who served as the longtime president and CEO of  World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), is the 20th member of President Donald Trump’s (R) cabinet confirmed in his second presidential term. 

Click here for Ballotpedia’s full coverage of the Trump’s administration’s cabinet. 

Trump has called for eliminating the DOE, saying in a recent speech: “We will move everything back to the states, where it belongs. They can individualize education and do it with the love for their children.” McMahon, who said she intends to work with Congress to end the agency, announced on March 11 that she was terminating nearly half of all DOE employees. 

Here’s what we know about the role McMahon could play in changing the DOE.  

Meet Linda McMahon

McMahon was born in New Bern, North Carolina, and graduated from East Carolina University with a B.S. in French. 

  • McMahon co-founded the WWE with Vince McMahon, her husband in the 1980s. She worked as chief executive officer at the WWE through 2009. 
  • In 2010 and 2012, McMahon ran unsuccessfully as the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Connecticut.
  • McMahon served as the administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration during Trump’s first presidential term. On April 12, 2019, McMahon stepped down to chair the America First Action PAC.

Trump wants McMahon to lead the effort to end the DOE 

Trump said, “What I want to do is, let the states run schools. I believe strongly in school choice. But in addition to that, I want the states to run schools. And I want Linda to put herself out of a job.”

Go deeper: The Trump administration has moved to eliminate roles at the DOE through layoffs and buyouts. 

  • The DOE’s announcement that it was terminating more than 1,300 staff members follows layoffs in February that primarily affected new hires and a $25,000 buyout offer that over 300 workers accepted. 
  • In total, the agency was set to remove nearly 2,000 employees—about half the total workforce at the start of the year.

Behind the scenes: White House officials earlier drafted an order tasking McMahon with closing the DOE but Trump has not signed it as of this writing.  

  • The Wall Street Journal reported on March 5 that a draft of the order says McMahon should “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department” within “the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.” 
  • In her U.S. Senate confirmation hearings, McMahon suggested that some DOE responsibilities would need to be transferred to other agencies. 
  • McMahon said, “Since its establishment in 1980, taxpayers have entrusted the department with over $1 trillion, yet student outcomes have consistently languished.” 

The other side: Critics say closing the DOE would fall hardest on the most disadvantaged students.

  • American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said, “No one likes bureaucracy, and everyone’s in favor of more efficiency, so let’s find ways to accomplish that. But don’t use a ‘war on woke’ to attack the children living in poverty and the children with disabilities, in order to pay for vouchers and tax cuts for billionaires.”
  • U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said, “Donald Trump and Linda McMahon know they can’t abolish the Department of Education on their own but they understand that if you gut it to its very core and fire all the people who run programs that help students, families, and teachers, you might end up with a similar, ruinous result.”

Here’s what the DOE does 

Although states and localities primarily oversee and fund public education in the U.S., the federal role in K-12 education has grown over time. The DOE directs funding to state education agencies, districts, and nonprofits that support students. That includes funding for students who are low-income or have disabilities and sundry initiatives related to teacher training, student health and wellness, preschool, and more. The DOE also collects and analyzes education data, enforces civil rights laws in K-12 schools and universities, and manages a student loan portfolio and Pell Grants. 

Congress created the DOE in 1979, and it began operating in 1980 with a budget of $11.5 billion. 

  • In 2024, Congress appropriated about $80 billion in discretionary funds to the DOE. 
  • However, much of the DOE’s spending is set in law and distributed to state education agencies, schools, and nonprofits that support students according to congressionally mandated formulas. For example, the DOE supports low-income students through Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) and students with disabilities through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
  • The amount of federal funding varies considerably by state.

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

Today, we’re looking at surveys from two candidates running in April 8 elections in Missouri.

Zacheriah Davis Sr. is one of 10 candidates—including incumbent Antionette Cousins—running for three seats on the St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education. As of this writing, Davis is the only candidate who has completed the survey. 

Roy Copeland III is one of six candidates running for two seats on the North Kansas City Public Schools Board of Education. Copeland is the only candidate who has completed the survey. 

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

“The primary job of a school board member is to ensure that every student receives a high-quality, equitable education by setting policies that drive academic success, allocating resources responsibly, and holding district leadership accountable. This includes advocating for strong literacy programs, supporting teachers, engaging with the community, and ensuring fiscal transparency. Ultimately, a school board member must always put students first—always.”

Click here to read the rest of Davis’ responses. 

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

“My role as a board member would be to serve the community and provide support from an objective view without a personal agenda. The key role of a School Board is to ensure Board Policy is implemented and adhered to and to support and supervise the Superintendent as she leads the district.

As a Board Member, my role would be to listen and also engage by asking questions and partnering with the administration, caregivers, and staff to make the best decisions for all students. I also see my role as a Board Member as one of being a visible community member and being present in the schools, when invited, to see the great successes occurring in our schools. It would also be my role to stay engaged with the needs of the teachers, staff, administration, and students in the schools and advocate to meet their needs.”

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

Everyone deserves to know their candidates. However, we know it can be hard for voters to find information about their candidates, especially for local offices such as school boards. That’s why we created Candidate Connection—a survey designed to help candidates tell voters about their campaigns, their issues, and so much more. 

In the 2024 election cycle, 6,539 candidates completed the survey, including more than 500 school board candidates. 

If you’re a school board candidate or incumbent, click here to take the 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 appear in your Ballotpedia profile. Your responses will also appear in our sample ballot.
And if you’re not running for school board, but there is an election in your community this year, share the link with the candidates and urge them to take the survey!