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May 1, 2025 In Blog

The Importance of School Board Elections

By: Nancy Mercante ,Guest Contributor   

Three years ago, I discovered how bad Delaware K-12 schools had become. I decided to vote that year but couldn’t find information about school board candidates. Many candidates don’t know enough to understand how they can drive positive change as school board members. These are the reasons I formed Citizens for Delaware Schools. I couldn’t just ignore the lost generations of kids facing a bleak future. I felt a moral obligation to help the public demand better and the school boards to do better.

To this day, many Delawareans don’t know how deep a hole our students find themselves in. Minority and low-income students are being hurt the most. The 2024 Nation’s Report Card showed that 70% of fourth graders cannot read at grade level and 80% of eighth graders can’t do math, find the main idea of an essay or name different sides of a debate. This is a tragedy long in the making, not just for education but for the prospects of Delaware’s future workforce.

When only three to five percent of eligible voters turn out to vote in their school board elections, it tells me not enough people know or care. A low turnout means your vote could be the one that elects a school board member who stands for the kids, not entrenched bureaucratic interests. The school district will only change course when voters show up at the polls to demand it and we elect a school board that insists on proven methods for improving student outcomes.

Why do school board elections matter?

School boards have immense power. Strong, well-informed school board members can insist that the superintendents in school districts stay focused on improving student outcomes. Superintendents report to them.

The board must focus on academic achievement. Members can ask probing questions, create the right policies, review and approve high-quality curriculum and, most important, hold the superintendent accountable through measurable goals.

Board members can ensure the proper allocation of millions of public dollars so that the majority of funds support student instruction and not a growing bureaucracy. They can’t be just a rubber stamp, especially as budgets get tighter.

Voters are to blame for the long, steep decline of public schools, and we all have a responsibility to help fix it. This is also why your vote matters.

The 2025 school elections are May 13, 2025

 This year, 19 elections will occur in 11 school districts: Appoquinimink, Brandywine, Caesar Rodney, Cape Henlopen, Capital, Christina, Smyrna, Red Clay, Lake Forest, Indian River District 1, and Woodbridge.

To help voters make informed decisions, Citizens for Delaware Schools has posted information about candidates on its website: www.citizensfordelawareschools.org.

Our survey asks candidates to name specific policies or actions they will take to reform education.

You can also sign up to receive our monthly newsletter, Education on the Hotseat, and follow me on X.com/@BetterEd4all.

School boards are the most local of all elections and the most meaningful to children. This year, make a special effort to vote in your school board election on May 13.

Your vote matters. Make it count. Do it for the kids.

Nancy Mercante is the President and Founder of Citizens for Delaware Schools.