The state House has tentatively approved the bill to make Forsyth County school board elections nonpartisan. A referendum is not included in the bill, so —–presto, CHANGEo —- nonpartisan elections could become law without asking citizens if they think their school board is fine just the way it is. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t.
Fortunately, Rep. Dale Folwell is speaking out in opposition:
Folwell, R-Forsyth, said yesterday that he believes the party system helps filter good candidates from bad ones. And he said that supporters of the bill have not specified how the partisanship of school-board elections is supposed to have hurt students. Folwell was a member of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school board before being elected to the General Assembly.
“What one decision, or what two decisions, over the last 10 years, has our school board made on a partisan basis that has negatively affected students?” Folwell asked. “I have not received an answer to that question.”
Evidently Winston-Salem Journal doesn’t have the answer, either. They just think it’s a good idea.
