Opposing sides debate Amendment 1: partisan school board elections

SARASOTA, Fla., (WFLA) – The battle over making school board races partisan statewide is on the line in Tuesday's election.

If the amendment is passed, it would require candidates for school boards to disclose their party affiliation.

Ballots do not show whether a school board candidate is a Democrat or a Republican in this election, but if passed, it would change how school board races look on the ballot in the future.

Many voters went in and out of the precinct at Columbus Banquet Hall in Sarasota, including first-time voter, Anthony Neal.

"I feel great, I feel patriotic that I'm able to be here and vote for my country," Neal said.

Voters will find out if Amendment 1 will pass on Tuesday.

State Rep. Spencer Roach is behind Amendment 1 and has been trying to get it passed for the past two years.

"If you're running for school board, you should be proud to announce to voters that you are and adhere to a major political party and you should be proud to stand up and tell them why you support your party's platform on education. Right now, that's not happening," said State Representative Spencer Roach.

Roach stated this amendment is all about being transparent.

"It will be good for our school districts and ultimately good for our communities that will have someone representing them that represents the values that they seek to inculcate in their children. That's why I'm supporting amendment one and I hope you do too," Roach said.

Zander Moricz, Executive Director for Social Equity Through Education Alliance, said the organization has been fighting to get politics out of the school board.

"If we really think about it, no one is asking for this, no one has asked for more partisanship in our school boards, no one has asked for there to be more fighting. People are begging for collaboration, they're begging for a middle ground, and this would alienate that opportunity," Zander Moricz said.

Moricz stated if the amendment is passed, parties will start pushing candidates that support their agenda, instead of focusing on education.

"Right now, with nonpartisan school board elections, it's the candidate's advantage to listen to and appeal to all parents. In partisan school board elections, it will be to the candidate's advantage to appeal to their parties' parents, their parties' families, not to the others," Moricz said.

Neal just graduated from the Sarasota Military Academy and stated that he feels if politics are brought into education, it would take away the idea of freedom of speech.

"I shouldn't be judged on who I go to vote for and neither should anybody on the school board either, because that's their private life and who they decide to vote for should be kept private," Neal said.

Roach stated this amendment would change Florida's Constitution, which would revert back to the historical method of electing school board members.

This amendment would ensure voters know as much about their candidates as they could, Roach stated.

"These races are already highly partisan, it's just time to bring that out into the open, out into the sunshine," Roach said.

Just like the other amendments, Amendment 1 needs 60% of the vote in order to pass.