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A comprehensive resource – covering all 50 states – examines how state laws and regulations both grant and limit the authority of local school boards
MIDDLETON, Wis., April 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Ballotpedia has completed its study examining local school board authority across all 50 states. This resource is an exceptional tool for understanding the complex landscape of school governance in America and solves a critical information gap in this space. It represents a thorough analysis of how state laws and regulations both grant and limit the authority of local school boards nationwide.
As debates about educational governance continue to intensify nationwide, Ballotpedia’s school board authority research initiative provides an objective foundation for informed discussion about the proper balance of authority between state governments and local school boards.
Ballotpedia provides clarity about the policy areas over which local school boards have decision-making power and how that authority is constrained by state or federal law. The report will be an essential reference for education policymakers, school board members, administrators, parent advocates, researchers, and citizens seeking to understand or influence local education policy.
Ballotpedia’s analysis includes articles exploring the authority the laws in each state give to local school boards, generally and over specific education policy issues such as:
- Curriculum requirements and restrictions
- Book bans and restrictions
- Parental notification policies
- Discipline
- School board elections
- Public school choice and open enrollment
- Charter schools
- Cellphone use bans and limitations
Among its key findings, the study provides examples of state-by-state comparisons across a selection of topics, including:
- Disciplinary policy authority rests with school boards in 47 states, while Vermont is the only state that delegated this authority to individual schools.
- Eleven states enacted laws restricting or banning cellphone use in K-12 classrooms, and five additional states established policies encouraging limitations.
- Thirty-six states authorize school boards to approve new charter schools in their districts, deny approval to new charter schools, or both.
The resource includes:
- State-by-state profiles, interactive maps, and comparative analyses.
- Research cataloging statutory differences and covering how collective bargaining agreements, state regulations, court rulings, and Parents’ Bills of Rights create complex constraints on school board authority.
- An interactive format allows users to navigate between national comparisons and detailed state-specific information easily.
Methodology
Ballotpedia’s methodology involved analyzing state statutes, administrative codes, constitutions, court rulings, and recent legislation to create a repository of information on this aspect of educational governance.
Visit https://ballotpedia.org/Local_school_board_authority_across_the_50_states to explore the full research.
About Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia, the encyclopedia of American politics, is the nation’s most trusted source of unbiased information on politics, elections, and policy. Founded in 2007, Ballotpedia has grown from a small group of dedicated volunteers working on a handful of ballot measures to an essential resource for voters, media, and researchers. Ballotpedia is a nonprofit organization that serves the public interest in creating an educated, engaged electorate and building a strong, healthy democracy. For free access to 600,000+ encyclopedic, professionally authored, and curated articles, visit Ballotpedia.org.
SOURCE BALLOTPEDIA
