The Most Powerful Group You’ve Probably Never Voted For
School Boards: Boring Name, Big Impact
When we talk about public education, student success, or even what books our kids have access to in school, there’s one local decision-making body that quietly has an outsized impact on all of it: The School Board (Please read that to the tune of the opening credits of The Simpsons).
Now before your eyes glaze over, hang with me for a second. This isn’t just bureaucracy. This is about real power in your community.
A school board is a group of elected officials responsible for overseeing the public schools in your district. Think of them as the bridge between the community and the school system. They don’t handle the day-to-day operations (That’s the job of the superintendent and principals), but they do set the vision, priorities, and policies that shape everything from what students learn to how resources are spent.
The school board determines:
How budgets are spent
Which schools get upgrades
How many school counselors are hired
Whether there’s funding for things like sports, music, and/or art
These aren’t abstract decisions. These are the choices that shape students’ everyday lives.
Here’s where things get very real: school boards make the calls on curriculum standards like history education (including what and whose history we teach), and science content (because there is a large number of Americans who believe the earth is only 6 million years old and do you really want them dictating a whole-ass science curriculum?)
The school board also decides which books are allowed in school libraries. Yes, that snake pit.
If you care about public education, student mental health, equity, teacher support, or even whether kids have access to free breakfast or lunch, then you care about the school board (whether you know it or not).
Now the uncomfortable truth: Less than 10% of eligible voters turn out for school board elections. That means just a tiny fraction of your community is deciding who holds the power to shape your local schools. That is like handing over power to just one neighborhood to decide things for your entire city. On purpose!
It’s okay. Now you know, and now you can turn things around. You don’t have to run for school board to make a difference. You can:
Attend a meeting. Most are live-streamed now
Read the agenda ahead of time. It’s usually posted online
Speak up during the public comment period, or email board members directly
And- of course- VOTE in local elections. And bring two neighbors with you
Civic engagement doesn’t always mean big protests or national headlines. Sometimes, it starts with something as local and immediate as paying attention to who’s making decisions for our kids and our schools.
School boards might not be flashy. But they’re powerful. And they’re worth our attention.