Hobbs vetoes bill requiring party affiliation listed for school board races

(The Center Square) – Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed legislation that would  have required a school board candidate’s party affiliation to be listed on the ballot.

Senate Bill 1097 would have made the board races partisan beginning in 2025.

“This bill will further the politicization and polarization of Arizona’s school district governing boards whose focus should remain on making the best decisions for students. Partisan politics do not belong in Arizona’s schools,” Hobbs wrote in her veto letter last Tuesday.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson, said that legislation would help clarify where candidates stand on specific issues.

“School boards are some of the most important elections we have in our communities,” Wadsack said in a statement on Thursday. “They’re the closest to our children, and our local school boards govern issues that impact the education and well-being of our families. We should be able to access this information without having to dig and deduce.”

“In her veto letter, Governor Katie Hobbs stated the school district governing boards’ focus should remain on making the best decisions for students. How can we ensure we’ve elected members that will make the best decisions for students if we don’t know where they stand on important issues?” the Republican continued. 

The COVID-19 pandemic brought greater emphasis to school boards, as they were tasked with making decisions regarding everything from learning formats to grading and especially remote learning once allowed by the state. The boards are also tasked with making critical financial choices, according to the Arizona Department of Education. 

Besides pandemic-related decision-making, there’s been heightened interest in school’s curriculum in recent years, particularly if there’s a political slant. 

According to the Pew Research Center, Americans are split on various education issues along party lines, including on what subject matters students should be taught about.