A bill to give Indiana school board candidates the option to run as Republicans or Democrats has passed a key vote in the House and could soon head to the governor鈥檚 desk.

But the changes that House lawmakers made to Senate Bill 287 may first require a stop in a conference committee, where legislators from both chambers would hash out a final version.

The bill passed by the House on Monday gives school board candidates the option to state a party affiliation, identify as independent, or remain nonpartisan in general elections. It creates mechanisms for county parties to challenge an affiliation, and provides that a straight ticket vote does not apply to school board offices. It also provides raises to school board members.

The bill passed by the House doesn鈥檛 require a primary election for school board candidates. However, in the version passed by the Senate, the bill would have required school board candidates to go through the same primary process as other political candidates.

The bill鈥檚 sponsor in the House, GOP Rep. J.D. Prescott, said that disclosing party affiliation would drive up voter turnout in school board elections and help voters choose a candidate that aligns with their values.

鈥淧olitics are already in our schools, whether we like it or not, influencing everything from how schools handled COVID-19 to budgets, tax rates, debt, curriculum choices and more,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust because our elections are nonpartisan, certainly doesn鈥檛 mean the candidates and board members are.鈥�

A version of this proposal by Indiana legislators since school boards became a hotbed of conflict during the pandemic over issues like masking and school closings. It due to concerns over the effect it could have on school boards. Board members鈥� primary responsibilities are approving a school budget and hiring a superintendent.

Most public testimony on the proposal this year and in years past has been in opposition.

Democratic lawmakers, too, have rejected the idea. Among several arguments they made on Monday, Democrats said the bill actually disincentivizes voters from learning more about their school board candidates, and possibly creates an opportunity for candidates to disingenuously state a party affiliation for political advantage.

鈥淸Voters] don鈥檛 care if it鈥檚 a Democrat or Republican, they just want to make sure our kids鈥� needs are being served,鈥� said Rep. Cherrish Pryor, a Democrat who spoke in opposition to the bill.

Rep. Tonya Pfaff, a Democrat, also raised concerns about conflicts with , which bars certain government employees from partisan political activities.

And Democratic Rep. Chuck Moseley, a former member of the Portage Township School Board, rejected the argument that politics on school boards is a fact of life.

鈥淲e kept politics out of that for one specific reason, because we were representing not just the taxpayers of that school corporation, we were also representing the kids that were in that school,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e had a responsibility to the parents of those kids that we wouldn鈥檛 interject our political thoughts and ideology into school board decisions.鈥�

But some GOP lawmakers explicitly supported the possibility that the bill could help conservative candidates.

Rep. Hunter Smith said the educational landscape has been 鈥済rowing increasingly and covertly more political for decades,鈥� to the point that district curriculum directors could not find curriculum 鈥渧oid of slanted cultural endorsements and ideologies.鈥�

鈥淚 believe this measure will promote leadership more in line with the values of Indiana鈥檚 over 2 million parents who entrust their children to our schools every week,鈥� Smith said.

Under the bill, in order to state a party affiliation, a school board candidate must have voted in that party鈥檚 two most recent primary elections, or obtain written certification from the county party chairman that they are a member of the party. A candidate鈥檚 affiliation could be challenged if they don鈥檛 take one of these steps.

The bill also raises pay for school board members from $2,000 as in current law, to an amount not more than 10% of the lowest starting salary of a teacher in that school district.

It would take effect this July; however, there are no school board elections in Indiana in 2025.

The bill passed the House 54-40, with several Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. The Senate will vote on accepting or rejecting the changes made in the House.

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat.聽Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at .

All six of his endorsed candidates, who advanced from an August primary to runoffs in the general election, won their races, according to unofficial results. That means that of the 30 candidates the governor supported this year, 25 won.

Three of the candidates are incumbents who won re-election鈥� Stephanie Busin in Hendry County, Jacqueline Rosario in Indian River County and Jamie Haynes in Volusia County. Three more captured open seats 鈥� Sam Fisher in Lee County, Cindy Spray in Manatee County and Al Hernandez in Pasco County.

Hernandez was from the ballot when a circuit court judge ruled that he didn鈥檛 live in the region he sought to represent when he qualified. But his appeal to a district court was successful, with a three-judge panel ruling that he had . 

DeSantis has held considerable sway over school board politics this year, not just endorsing candidates but also members. Those concerned about the direction conservative board members are taking schools oppose his involvement, while others who want greater say in their children鈥檚 education support the shift.

鈥淭hat is our mission and the reason we endorse,鈥� said Tina Descovich, a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a conservative advocacy group. Ballots, she said, should identify the party affiliation of board candidates. 鈥淚t gives voters more information to work with. A more informed voter makes better decisions.鈥�

But critics say the movement benefits parties more than students. 

鈥淭he only letters that a school board member should have after their name is EE 鈥� for education and equity,鈥� said Joaquin Guerra, political director for the Campaign for Our Shared Future Action Fund, which organized to counteract efforts by groups such as Moms for Liberty. 鈥淲e have enough politics in our lives.鈥�

Alicia Farrant, who won election to the Orange County school board, was among the candidates Moms for Liberty endorsed. Her victory over Michael Daniels, a college administrator whose wife teaches in the Orange County schools, 鈥渕eans that we need to do a better job of engaging families in Florida and educating them about the importance of school board elections,鈥� Guerra said.

Some experts say it鈥檚 a matter of time before the offices become officially partisan, not just in Florida, but other states as well. Moms for Liberty endorsed 270 candidates nationally, including 45 in California and 50 in South Carolina. Another group that works to elect conservative school board members, 1776 Project PAC, also endorsed candidates in multiple states. But ultimately, the results .

For years now, elections for judges, school board members and city council members have been nonpartisan 鈥渋n name only,鈥� said Susan MacManus, a politician science professor at the University of South Florida. 鈥淭he partisan affiliation of the candidates has been laid bare for all to see.鈥�