Editorial: Indiana bill to put a 'D' or a 'R' on school board positions deserves an 'F'

Given the heated confrontations that have played out at school board meetings both locally and nationally, injecting politics into the process of choosing board members is one of the worst ideas imaginable.

But that's exactly what some legislators propose doing.

House Bill 1182 would require school board candidates to identify with a political party and include that designation on the ballot. Candidates would be able to list themselves as "Independent" if they don't identify as either a Republican or Democrat.

We can't think of one good reason to add political affiliation to school board races — especially after reading comments from the bill's author, Rep. J.D. Prescott (R-Union City), who said the change would give voters more insight into candidates' beliefs and character.

"When I look at Republicans or Democrats," he said, "I think you can tell the difference between financial responsibility and moral character in some cases."

So the thinking behind HB 1182, the reason to politicize school board positions, is to make it clear that members of one party lack morals. A ludicrous statement but hardly surprising, considering the current state of politics and the relentless effort to turn school boards into political battlefields.

At least the bill's author is honest about his intention to put a scarlet "D" on Democrats, essentially branding them unfit to serve. Prescott has also claimed that the impetus of the bill stemmed from voter demands for more transparency from school board members.

School board members, education lobbying groups and other Hoosiers from across the state see things differently. None of the nearly two dozen people who testified last week before the House Election Committee expressed support for HB 1182, co-sponsored by Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola, and Rep. Bob Morris, R-Fort Wayne.

Terry Spradlin, the executive director of the Indiana School Boards Association, said his organization had concerns that politicizing school board races would further fuel partisan conflicts. He noted that there is no "Democrat or Republican way to feed or transport children, pay bills, plan facility improvements, (etc.)."

Some worried that the change could shrink the pool of people interested in running for school boards.

Brandon Kroft, a board member for Duneland School Corporation who described himself as a proud Republican, said political tensions, heightened during the pandemic, have already driven some people away from serving in their communities.

"Forcing a school board member to put either an 'R' or 'D' in front of their name is going to further shallow the pool," he said.

In a viewpoint published in The Tribune earlier this week, Penn-Harris-Madison school board members Angie Gates and Clare Roach urged elected officials to vote to protect schools from "needless partisanship and political division by keeping school board positions nonpartisan."

More: Viewpoint: Injecting partisanship into school boards in Indiana is bad policy

The authors, writing in solidarity although they don't have "identical worldviews or political experiences," said they do their best to listen attentively, consider issues deeply, and ensure civility and professionalism prevail.

That's more than you can say for those who want to put political games, and further dividing the public, above the best interests of Hoosier students.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Indiana House Bill 1182 would politicize school board positions