Sheridan County school board chairs have mixed thoughts on party affiliation bill

SHERIDAN — Sheridan County school board chairs have mixed feelings on a bill that would require school board candidates to have their political party affiliation printed on general election ballots.

Senate file 98, School Board Trustees-Party Affiliation, passed third reading on the Senate floor with an 18-21-1 vote Feb. 6. It was received for introduction in the House Feb. 6 and introduced and referred to the H07 — Corporations Feb. 10.

Sheridan County School District 2 Board Chair Shame Rader said school board trustees declaring a party affiliation would create a barrier for federal employees to serve on their local school boards, as federal employees cannot serve on partisan boards, he said in an email to The Sheridan Press.

Rader also mentioned that party affiliation does not necessarily encapsulate a school board trustee candidate’s viewpoints on education.

“There are no restrictions on candidates expressing their party affiliation in campaign materials, public forums, etc. Political parties don’t have a stance on most action items on monthly school board agendas such as setting calendars, replacing equipment, approving bids and bus routes. School board trustees handle these on a case-by-case basis,” Rader said.

SCSD3 Board Chair Karis Prusak noted that board members are an elected position and other elected positions have a party affiliation with it. Prusak said she does not believe it is a far-fetched ask to have to put their party affiliation on the ballots as well.

“I think it’s important for people who are going to vote for you to know at least the assumption of which direction you should be learning with certain ideals with a party affiliation, so that you can be held accountable,” Prusak said. “If you vote as a Republican and you’re letting critical race theory into your school — that doesn’t really line up with the Republican ideology — you can be called on the carpet for that. We voted for you because this is what you’re supposed to stand for.”

SCSD1 Board Chair Clint Krumm said he believes candidates should not have to list their party affiliations when running for school board.

“I feel like our country has started fighting for its parties more than fighting for the country, and I don’t want that to happen to our schools as well,” Krumm said. “We serve to make sure our students have a great education, that’s why we serve. (It) has nothing to do with politics and I feel like adding party affiliations will just bring more politics into something that it really should not be.”

Krumm said keeping a party affiliation from names will require people to do research on school board candidates.

“Keeping a Republican and Democratic away from our name requires people to do research on who these people are and actually look at the person and not the party,” he said. “That’s what I really believe in, is to look at the person, not the party. Is this the right person for your community, for your schools, for your kids?”

This story was published on February 11, 2025.