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Wake school board elections would change under bill moving in NC House

Bill moves elections to odd years, staggers Wake County Board of Education terms.

Posted Updated
Wake County school board meeting
By
Travis Fain
, WRAL statehouse reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — Wake County school board elections would get reshuffled under legislation moving at the statehouse, staggering things so the whole board isn't up for re-election at once.

It would also move elections from even to odd-numbered years, starting in 2023, returning to the system that had been in place until five years ago.

Before 2016, elections for the nine school board seats were held in odd-numbered years, along with municipal elections. But the Republican-controlled General Assembly shifted that to even-numbered years in 2016, saying turnout is typically much higher because other state and federal elections are also held at that time.

House Bill 353 would change the schedule for school board elections in Wake County after 2022, and candidates elected in 2022 would serve either one- or three-year terms.

The way that would be decided is:

  • Winners in the four Board of Education districts with the highest total vote counts would serve three-year terms
  • Winners in the other five districts would serve one-year terms

That would put the next elections in 2023, when five seats would be up. Then, in 2025, four seats would be up.

Members elected in those years, and going forward, would serve four-year terms under the bill. That means five seats would be up in one given year, and four seats two years later. Elections would remain nonpartisan, with elections held in odd-numbered years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

This proposal moved through committee Wednesday in the House and is expected to be before the full House for a vote later in the day. The bill also reworks elections for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school board, staggering those terms as well.

State Rep. Donny Lambeth said Wednesday that, of 115 school systems in North Carolina, 112 have staggered terms. If this bill passes, the only one left will be Person County, he said.

Update: This bill passed the House Wednesday afternoon and heads to the state Senate for more debate.

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