SB 107 would force education candidates to run in political party primary elections and require ballots to display partisan labels for school board races. This is bad for students and families, bad for communities, and bad for voters. Here’s why:

• Decisions about schools should be based on education, not party politics. Partisan labels would pressure school board members to follow party platforms instead of listening to parents, students, and teachers.
• Students and families—not political parties—should be the priority. Our school boards should focus on what’s best for kids, not national party agendas.
• Big-money political groups could take over local races. School board elections should be about local schools and students, not outside party interests.
• Independent voters would be silenced, and all voters would face limited choices during Primary Elections. Because Ohio Primary voters are required to choose just one party ballot, voters who don’t want to be labeled as Democrat or Republican would be excluded from choosing their school board candidates until the general election—after primary voters have already had their say. Primary voters who do vote on a partisan ballot would also not see the full range of candidates, limiting their choices.
• Qualified candidates could be discouraged from running. Many dedicated educators and parents don’t want to be forced into a political label just to serve their schools.
• Local elections will become more expensive and partisan. Party-backed campaigns will flood races with outside money, drowning out community voices.

SB 107 would inject partisanship into what should be a community-focused role, making our schools more about politics than students. That's the last thing our communities need.

Email your Ohio Senator and members of the Senate’s General Government Committee to tell them to OPPOSE SB 107!