The reform candidates who take their seats on the Wake County school board next month may not be done with pushing for change, reports Carolina Journal’s David Bass. Are countywide elections next?

In the past, critics have argued that at-large races and a revision of the elections schedule could have negative implications, such as violating the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Some school board members have backed switching a portion of seats to at-large if it meant the board would have taxing authority.

Contacted by e-mail Thursday, school board chairman Kevin Hill said the issue belongs in the realm of the legislature. “As such, the board hasn’t discussed this and I have not had time to do any homework on it,” he said.

Supporters point to the Wake County Board of Commissioners, which is elected on an at-large basis for staggered four-year terms, as an example of successful countywide elections.

Joe Ciulla, president of the Wake Community Schools Alliance, sees the potential for an odd reversal on the issue, with advocates of more liberal policies beginning to push for a switch to at-large elections.

“The ray of hope may be that I think a lot of folks relied on the district-based elections to protect the status quo policies that were in place,” Ciulla said. “Now that we’ve shown that protection is not effective, maybe they’ll come around and decide that at-large is the way to go.”