In 1998, Florida voted to enact nonpartisan school board elections so candidates would not be required to disclose party registration or political affiliation. That might change, though, if the Partisan School Board Elections Amendment receives passes. 

The ballot amendment — which is one of six being voted on in Florida — would require school board candidates to register their political affiliation ahead of elections. And LGBTQ+ advocates say it’s a direct attack on LGBTQ+ students and queer-affirming policies in schools. 

Some queer nonprofits in Florida fear that if the amendment passes, not only would it further politicize school boards, but diminish the stability of public education and impact students. 

“On a macro scale, it is this intention to erode public trust in institutions in general but specifically public education,” says Maxx Fenning, the founder of PRISM, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ rights in Florida schools and communities. “Influence of party politics can be damaging to good policy that supports our kids.” 

Only four states in the country have partisan school board elections — Louisiana, Alabama, Connecticut, and with some exceptions, Pennsylvania. Most states require nonpartisan school board elections by law. 

The proposal is spearheaded by State Representative Spencer Roach, who won't be seeking re-election this year. Vanessa Oliver, a conservative who is a local businesswoman, and Democrat Jim Blueare are vying for his seat. The legislation is also sponsored by Trump-endorsed State Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) and State Rep. Tyler Sirois (R-Brevard County). All three sponsors voted in favor of anti-trans legislation that have passed recently including the Safety in Private Spaces Act and the Don’t Say Gay law. 

Supporters argue that it would provide better transparency for school board elections and enable voters to vet candidates more thoroughly based on their political affiliation. 

“If voters want to cast their ballot for someone who is truly apolitical, then they should be able to see that the candidate is registered as NPA (no party affiliation), and isn't hiding their true partisan leanings,” said Oliver. “I think most people running for school board are running because they are interested in improving our school systems and helping our students achieve the best possible outcomes. They just disagree on the best way to achieve those goals, and political affiliation is often part of that calculus.” 

In Florida constitutional amendments need 60% to pass.

Florida — historically a swing state — has voted Republican in the past two presidential elections. The state has been at the center of controversy and arguments around LGBTQ+ language in schools, book bans, restrictions around pronoun use, and debates regarding “Critical Race Theory,” a college-level course subject that is not taught in public high schools. 

Florida has closed primaries that take place in August. Unless changed by the registration deadline, only voters who are registered under a political party may vote for candidates. 

School board elections take place in August where all candidates currently compete against each other. If Amendment 1 passes a primary would take place with the winners facing off against in the general election.  

“Beyond Amendment 1, we have seen so many restrictions on LGBTQ rights on our students,” Fenning said. 

One example he gives is a rule from the Florida Department of Education that passed last year, requiring parental permission slips for extracurricular activities: “This was specifically meant to impact GSAs (Gay-Straight Alliances or Gender & Sexuality Alliances),” Fenning said. “They’re not allowed to say that, but they included verbatim language from the anti-drag bill in the permission slips.” 

That rule impacts all clubs, but Fenning argued that it disproportionately impacts LGBTQ+ students, since those clubs provide a space for students who may not have supportive families or parents. 

“The kids that are most in need of this support are the ones who are no longer going to be able to access it, that’s cruel,” says Fenning, who founded PRISM as a high school club himself and works closely with GSAs through his organization. “At the end of the day, we should be keeping politics out of the classroom and out of our schools and that’s why this ballot measure is so damaging.”

This story is published in partnership with the Queer News Network, a collaboration among 11 LGBTQ+ newsrooms to cover down ballot elections across 10 states.