Amendment 1: How voters can decide if school board members will be elected

ORLANDO, Fla — As thousands of Central Floridians head out to vote, you will have to vote on an amendment you haven’t heard much about.

Amendment One would turn your local school board races into partisan elections.

Channel 9 anchor Daralene Jones breaks down both sides of the debate.

Republican lawmakers have argued that this change would clear up who’s representing you and your children’s interests on local school boards.

Democrats said it’s about controlling a candidate to push one-sided agendas.

Anyone sitting on a school board across the state of Florida right now earned the seat without declaring allegiance to a political party, at least on your ballot.

That’s because voters decided to make school board races non-partisan, starting in 1998.

State Republican lawmakers drafted Amendment One to change that.

“My motivation and intent is great transparency for the voters.”  Representative Spencer Roach (R-North Fort Myers) said, “As policymakers, we have an obligation to provide voters with as much information about a candidate as possible.”

Democrats are pushing back.

“This bill is not about transparency; this is about signaling political agendas and keeping school board members in check with party leadership.” Representative Johanna Lopez (D- Orlando) said.

If Amendment One is approved, starting in 2026, candidates would be forced to disclose whether they are Democrat, Republican, or affiliated with another party.

In some cases, school board races are decided in the primary election. Because Florida is a closed primary state, parents registered with no party affiliation would have no say in who represents them on the school board.

Out of Florida’s 13.8 million voters, about 3.5 million, or about 25 percent, are registered with no party affiliation, and the League of Women Voters is also concerned about this.

“Jumping into a partisan race may keep qualified really excellent candidates from stepping in.” Reverend Kathy Schmitz from the League of Women Voters of Orange County said, “They don’t want to get into that fray, but I would hate to see us lose excellent people who might serve our children.”

Amendment One, like the other constitutional amendments, requires 60 percent of your votes to pass.

Channel 9 Eyewitness News will keep you informed on the biggest races before, during, and after election day.

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