For Immediate Release: November 17, 2016

Contact: Renee Rybak Lang, 703-740-4841

NASBE Post-Election Analysis: State Board Composition to Change Significantly in 2017

Alexandria, VA—A new NASBE policy update released today examines how the impact of the 2016 election—one generally acknowledged to be a “change” election— on state boards of education, some of whom are elected and some appointed by elected officials. NASBE’s analysis suggests there will be significant changes in the composition of state boards come January, with half of the seats that were up for election changing hands and many new members being sworn in. The analysis also includes a detailed listing of election results for all 23 states holding state board or governor elections this year.

In total, across 11 states, Guam, and the District of Columbia, 58 SBE seats were on the ballot. Of those, 39 were incumbents running for reelection. In 28 races, roughly half of those reelected are incumbents, and half are new. Two seats remain undecided.

In states where the governor appoints the state board, 12 gubernatorial elections were held. In four states, Delaware, West Virginia, Indiana, and North Dakota, retiring or term-limited governors were replaced by candidates from their own party. In five races, incumbents were on the ballot, and four were reelected. There were party shifts in the remaining three states—Missouri, New Hampshire, and Vermont. In some of these, the shift could signal major changes on the state board.

In states that have both appointed and elected state board members, Ohio saw significant turnover among its 11 elected members, due in part to term limits. In Indiana, only the chair of the board—the superintendent of public instruction—is elected. This year, Democratic State Superintendent Glenda Ritz was defeated by Jennifer McCormick.

Results of state referenda on education issues also signal voter unease about changes in education policy. Voters defeated a charter school cap increase in Massachusetts, and Georgia voters turned down a referendum to allow state takeover of consistently low-performing schools. The few education measures that passed, such as California’s expanded flexibility around bilingual education, enjoyed a broad range of stakeholder support.

“Because the election results are not yet known for every race, it is still early to make predictions about how the elections will affect state boards of education,” write the report’s authors. “With full implementation of ESSA scheduled for the beginning of the 2017–18 school year, however, it is clear that new members will make important changes right away. These changes will have a significant impact on the opportunities for all students to get an excellent education.”

Read The Impact of the 2016 Elections on State Boards of Education.

The National Association of State Boards of Education represents America’s state and territorial boards of education. Our principal objectives are to strengthen state leadership in education policymaking, advocate equality of access to educational opportunity, promote excellence in the education of all students, and ensure responsible lay governance of education.

###