Hey Sioux Falls voters, did you know there's a School Board Election on Tuesday, April 9? Get to know your candidates!
In schools across our country, a coordinated attack on students' rights is underway, and our state is not immune.
At a time when classrooms have become a flashpoint for national debates, voting in school board elections, is more important than ever – here's why.
Among many other duties, school boards are primarily responsible for:
- Developing and implementing district policies and programs that create learning environments for students to thrive;
- Ensuring millions of public dollars are spent appropriately and are allocated equitably for staff, facilities, students, and technology;
- Hiring, evaluating, and holding superintendents accountable for management and student outcomes;
- Developing and approving a comprehensive and inclusive curriculum; and
- Being responsive to the interests of the community.
In other words, school boards have the power to pass important policies to protect LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit students and other vulnerable student populations from harassment, discrimination, and bullying. They can fight back against attempts to restrict school curriculums or to remove books from school libraries. School boards have the power to invest in restorative discipline practices that build safer and more inclusive environments, and fund preventative, trauma-informed interventions, such as social workers, school counselors, psychologists, and other mental health professionals. They can also elevate critical issues affecting our schools by increasing public awareness, informing their budgets accordingly, and holding relevant parties accountable.
Simply put, school boards can make or break the quality of local public education, which is directly connected to community issues such as public health, incarceration rates, employment, economic success, and more.
Whether you have kids in school or not, the decisions of school board members affect you. Be sure you educate yourself on the candidates in your school districts by connecting with your current school board.
Want to help elevate election information? Share this with your peers! Let’s make the lesser-known elections more prominent in our daily conversation.
