When most Americans think of elections, they think big. Senate races flush with hundreds of millions of dollars in cash, Presidential elections tallying votes in the tens of millions. But for Atlantans, this year’s elections are smaller, but no less impactful for the community and its children.
The Atlanta Public School (APS) Board is on the ballot this year. Before 2020, all APS Board members were on the ballot at the same time, raising concerns of continuity and follow-through if initiatives were to be carried out by a completely different cohort of leaders than the ones who originally created them. After a 2020 decision to stagger Board elections, however, Board members serve four-year terms with one group of seats up for reelection every two years.
The Board, composed of six geographical districts and three at-large seats, has five seats up for election this year: geographic districts 1, 3, and 5, and at-large seats 7 and 9.
APS is one of the most consequential school districts in Georgia, lying at the epicenter of Georgia’s economy, university center, and most bustling city. APS currently serves over 45,000 students and is this year equipped with a budget of over $1.6 billion. Recent upticks in APS income from property taxes have allowed for pay increases for teachers, putting APS firmly in the 75th percentile for teacher salaries in the state, as well as providing sizable bonuses of $5,000 to the most at-risk schools in the district.
None of these improvements would have materialized be it not for the Board’s direction and for the superintendent that they as a Board are responsible for selecting. The Atlanta Board of Education’s nine members are in charge of establishing the policies and funding plan that run the district and exist as a point of access for parents to their children’s education, a duty the Board fulfills by hosting monthly public meetings. Board members do not just have to be strong leaders, however; to…
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