The Salem-Keizer School Board in 2019 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter)
The Salem-Keizer NAACP is hosting a discussion Tuesday, March 2, about a proposal to make school board elections more local.
The plan, proposed by board Director Jesse Lippold, would have voters in each of the district’s seven zones elect their own representative to the board.
Currently, board directors must live in the zone they represent. But they are elected by voters across the school district, an area the size of several state legislative districts.
Lippold’s proposal, first raised at a January school board meeting, cited the rising cost of a board race. The most recent election in 2019 saw an average campaign cost of $25,000 as six candidates competed for three seats. School board directors are unpaid volunteers.
Lippold’s proposal also raises the issue of representation, noting that people of color in Salem are concentrated in several districts and may be reluctant to run for office knowing elections span the entire district.
The Salem-Keizer NAACP supports the plan. But it said on its website it wants members of the public to be informed ahead of an expected vote at a March 9 school board meeting.
Four of the seven seats on the school board are up for election in May, including Lippold’s.
To participate: The discussion will be held Tuesday, March 2 from 6-7 p.m. on Zoom. Anyone may attend and ask questions, and no preregistration is required. The Zoom link is here, and more information is available on the Salem-Keizer NAACP website.
-Rachel Alexander
