HARRISBURG (December 16) – The Senate Education Committee today unanimously approved Senator Andy Dinniman’s Senate Bill 1086, legislation that would end partisan school board elections for the betterment of communities and school districts throughout the Commonwealth.
Under the bill, the names of individuals seeking election to school boards would appear on ballots without affiliation to political party. School board elections would occur only at the November general election and would no longer be part of spring-time primary elections.
“Pennsylvania is one of only three states in the union that still allow partisan primary school board elections. It is time for that to change,” Dinniman said. “My legislation would shift the focus of school board elections from political differences to the real educational and fiscal issues at stake.”
As it now stands, political parties select and endorse candidates who then run in spring-time primary elections for their respective parties’ official nomination and a spot on the November ballot.
Under Dinniman’s bill, that system would be replaced by one where candidates are required to collect a certain number of signatures based on the size of the school district. For instance, candidates in the West Chester Area School District (population 101,220) would be required to collect 100 signatures. Candidates in the Phoenixville Area School District (population 28,335) and the Owen J. Roberts School District (population 26,855) would be required to collect 50 signatures.
“By eliminating partisan school board elections, we can put the power back in the hands of the voters, rather than in the hands of local political committees; we can give independent voters – who cannot vote in primaries – more of a say in selecting their school directors; and we can prevent lame-duck school boards from making major decisions in their last months in office,” Dinniman said.
The legislation, which was approved by all of the committee’s seven Republican and four Democratic members, will now go to the Senate floor for action.
Dinniman is optimistic about its Senate approval.
For more information, call Senator Dinniman’s office at 610-692-2112 or e-mail acirucci@pasenate.com.
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