New bill would make Idaho school boards partisan. Here’s why it would be a disaster | Opinion

On Wednesday morning, Rep. Joe Alfieri, R-Coeur d’Alene, introduced a bill that represents an attack on one of the only parts of Idaho government that functions well: public school boards.

The bill would turn school board races from nonpartisan contests, where voters have to focus on things like qualifications, policy positions and experience, into partisan races — where all that seems to matter is the R or D behind a person’s name.

It’s a tremendous benefit that Idaho’s school districts are mostly led by people who are focused on the technical aspects of making schools better, not scoring points with their state party bosses.

If there’s a consistent rule in Idaho government, it’s this: The nonpartisan institutions are at least somewhat functional. The partisan institutions are almost universally in disrepair.

In 2017, almost two-thirds of Idahoans thought Idaho was headed in the right direction, according to the Boise State University Idaho Public Policy Survey. Now it’s down to 44%, within the margin of error of the 41% who say the state is on the wrong track. That is a staggering loss of confidence in the state’s institutions in a short time.

The Legislature has become so ideological that it barely functions. Serious problems get ignored year after year, and instead, the focus is on things like pushing transgender kids around and censoring libraries. Meanwhile, Idahoans still pay taxes on groceries, have skyrocketing property taxes with no relief in sight and send their kids to schools that don’t get enough state support.

It would be terrible for a similar fate to befall the governance of our school system. And if anything, partisan school boards may wind up being less competent than the Legislature (if such a thing is imaginable).

School board has long been seen as a potential springboard to higher office — maybe you serve on the school board for four years before making a bid for the Legislature. But because school boards are nonpartisan, that means you have to win on competence before you can win based on party affiliation.

Make the school board partisan, and instead, the top concern of any school board member will be making headlines. It will be nothing but a springboard for would-be lawmakers.

Propose to ban all transgender kids from dressing as they want — that will get you the party bosses’ attention, and maybe some donations when you make that run for House. Propose an enforced daily prayer — sure it’s unconstitutional, but it will put you in the spotlight.

Figure out how to make the school bus system a bit more efficient? You won’t get much notice from the party bosses for that, though it’s of great benefit to students. Same with figuring out how to increase the participation of girls in STEM education programs or building a relationship with a local business for needed vocational training.

We’ve witnessed one major partisan takeover of a school system in Idaho: the board of North Idaho College. There the trustees are formally nonpartisan, but the election was sufficiently infused with partisanship that it in effect became a partisan election.

A short time later, North Idaho is on the verge of losing accreditation and becoming entirely useless. Local high schools are already scrambling to find alternatives for dual-credit programs, as the Coeur d’Alene Press reported. The only people who’ve benefited are the trustees who’ve run it into the ground, who’ve certainly increased their name recognition.

Lawmakers shouldn’t do that to Idaho’s public school system.