As voters head to the polls this midterm season, education policy has emerged as a defining issue, with significant decisions unfolding at the local, state, and federal levels. From ballot initiatives to school board contests, governor races, and Senate seats, the choices will shape classrooms for years to come.
According to Education Week, 34 ballot initiatives across 17 states directly affect education or its funding. Additionally, nine states will elect new state board of education members, eight have state superintendent races, and 36 gubernatorial contests are on the ballot—giving parents a wide array of opportunities to weigh in on how their children are taught.
Ballot Initiatives: Transgender Athletes, School Meals, and More
In four states—Colorado, Washington, Arizona, and Nebraska—voters will decide whether to create or expand bans on transgender girls and women participating in female sports teams. These measures have become a flashpoint in the broader debate over transgender rights and fairness in athletics.
Alabama is asking voters to require the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, allow optional student-led prayer, and mandate weekly performances of the first stanza of the "Star-Spangled Banner" during school hours. Meanwhile, Arizona voters will weigh a proposal that bars schools from implementing disciplinary practices that treat students or employees differently based on race or ethnicity, and prohibits using public money for positions promoting preferential treatment or discrimination based on race.
Washington state will decide on expanding parental rights, including the ability to review instructional materials, opt out of certain lessons, and be notified of medical services provided to students at school. In North Carolina, a proposed constitutional amendment would provide free breakfast and lunch to all public school students, addressing food insecurity and its impact on learning.
New Mexico is considering removing the constitutional requirement that school elections be held separately from partisan contests, a change aimed at boosting voter turnout for school boards. Many of the 34 initiatives involve taxes, public funding, or other mechanisms for school support.
State Superintendent and Board Races
Eight states—California, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Georgia, and South Carolina—will elect state superintendents, who typically oversee education departments. Their powers range from budgeting and teacher certification to enforcing state and federal laws. These races have drawn increased attention from outside groups due to their influence over school choice programs.
"Arizona has been a really good example for us, so we're focusing a lot on the state superintendent race. There was an anti-[education savings account] ballot initiative that was potentially going to go on the Arizona ballot. We were successfully able to lobby and push to get it off," said Doug Blair, press manager for Heritage Action, the lobbying arm of the Heritage Foundation. Blair added that the group will focus on "fighting for school choice" this midterm.
Other states are electing members to their boards of education, which set curricula, approve textbooks, and exert control over K-12 and university policies. These decisions come at a critical time as students continue to recover from pandemic-era learning losses in reading and math.
Governor and Senate Races
School choice has been a prominent issue for Republican gubernatorial candidates in Ohio, Missouri, South Carolina, and Alaska. In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton has secured support from teachers' unions by opposing school vouchers, backing free school meals, and promising increased funding. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has championed school choice and aims to raise academic standards.
School choice is increasingly important for governors now that a federal school choice tax credit program is available to all states, contingent on state leader approval. Jorge Elorza, CEO of Democrats for Education Reform, noted the party's renewed focus on education: "We've been very focused on the governor's races, in particular. We see a new generation of Democrats that are stepping up to run for governor, and many of them want to lead on education, but in the absence of a national democratic vision and agenda, they're looking for guidance."
Elorza highlighted candidates such as David Crawley in Wisconsin, Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, Amy Acton in Ohio, Phil Weiser in Colorado, and Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins in Alaska as examples of Democrats addressing K-12 issues. While Senate races have largely avoided education as a central topic, the outcome will determine control over issues like the potential dismantling of the Department of Education. For more on the political landscape, see GOP efforts to hold the Senate and Democratic plans to block Education Dept. changes.
