The political divisiveness that defined Long Island school board races in recent years has lessened considerably this year, with many board candidates emphasizing school safety and budgets over volatile topics such as the teaching about race and gender, candidates and political observers said.
With elections set for Tuesday, some observers attributed the relatively mild climate to the post-pandemic absence of controversies such as mask mandates and school closings. Those issues divided Long Islanders and drove many parents to vent their frustration at school board meetings.
But some observers said they see something else at work: a concerted strategy on the part of some to tone down the culture war issues, at least during these board elections. They note that candidates who emphasized those issues last year saw heavy losses.
“I think they realized that the angry rhetoric did not serve them well,” said Michael Dawidziak, a political consultant for more than 40 years based in Bayport. The criticism often looked like candidates were railing against their children’s schools and teachers, which parents supported, he said.
“They came to understand that what they were trying to sell wasn’t selling,” Dawidziak added.
Long Island is home to 124 public school districts, each with its own school board races.
Amanda Cohen-Stein, president of the Long Island Strong Schools Alliance, said controversies regarding the teaching of gender identity and the nation’s racial history continue to pop up at school board meetings, but “things have been — or seem — a little bit quieter.”
“Anger wasn’t getting them anywhere,” added Cohen-Stein, whose nonprofit group focuses on enhancing critical thinking skills, diversity, equity and inclusion in schools. She said there’s still some concern about extremist groups interfering with local schools.
Cohen-Stein pointed to a lawsuit filed against the Comsewogue district in January, in which the parents of a…
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