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School board issues

A meeting counts when two AI readers agree the board discussed the issue; a third checks a sample

What school boards discussed, across 4,162 meetings in the past year

On the issues

Every share is a floor: we catch only some of the meetings that discuss each issue, and not the same share for every issue.

Reading and test scores25.5%of meetings we read (90% range of our count 24.1%⁠–⁠27.0%)At least 1 in 5 meetings · 571 districtsSee all 1,064 meetingsBudget cuts and layoffs17.9%of meetings we read (90% range of our count 16.2%⁠–⁠19.6%)At least 1 in 7 meetings · 326 districtsSee all 745 meetingsEnrollment13.6%of meetings we read (90% range of our count 12.3%⁠–⁠15.1%)At least 1 in 9 meetings · 324 districtsSee all 570 meetingsSafety, weapons and police11.4%of meetings we read (90% range of our count 10.4%⁠–⁠12.5%)At least 1 in 10 meetings · 315 districtsSee all 476 meetingsChronic absenteeism10.8%of meetings we read (90% range of our count 9.7%⁠–⁠11.9%)At least 1 in 11 meetings · 287 districtsSee all 451 meetingsAI in schools8.9%of meetings we read (90% range of our count 8.0%⁠–⁠9.9%)At least 1 in 13 meetings · 249 districtsSee all 372 meetingsPhones in school8.4%of meetings we read (90% range of our count 7.5%⁠–⁠9.6%)At least 1 in 14 meetings · 222 districtsSee all 352 meetingsVouchers and school choice3.2%of meetings we read (90% range of our count 2.5%⁠–⁠4.0%)At least 1 in 39 meetings · 96 districts · stricter word ruleSee all 136 meetingsSchool closures2.3%of meetings we read (90% range of our count 1.7%⁠–⁠3.1%)At least 1 in 57 meetings · 59 districts · stricter word ruleSee all 98 meetings
Still checking these. No number until we’re sure.
  • Book challenges and library books—
  • DEI—
  • Four-day school week—
  • Gender identity and transgender policy—
  • Immigration and ICE—
  • Superintendent hiring, firing or departure—
  • Ten Commandments, chaplains and school prayer—
Discussed, and who came to speak

Where reading and test scores came up, against how many members of the public speak

131030100+Typical district 22%Many speakers, rarely discussedMany speakers, often discussedOften discussed, few speakersPublic speakers per meeting ↑↑ Public speakers per meetingSan Francisco Unified 50%, 32.3 a meetingLos Angeles Unified 31%, 30.9 a meetingFort Worth ISD 88%, 30.1 a meetingAustin ISD 90%, 21.5 a meeting
← Less often on reading and test scoresMore of its meetings →

Also discussed at 368 more districts where we read fewer than 6 meetings:

Clips

Watch board members talk through this year's issues

AI in schoolsI think with artificial intelligence, the grown-ups are very concerned about academic dishonesty and cheating and plagiarism and all that. Um, but as, as a late adopter of AI, I have come to realize, like the internet, it's something that's not going to go away.Brenda Campos-SpitzeDirector · Greeley School District 6 Board of Education · Sep 28, 2026Watch the full meeting from 1:08:18
  • School closuresWe just need to keep it safe and functional, and I believe that $4 million or less is more than enough to do exactly that. …Scott MuellerBoard member · Belvidere CUSD 100 Board of Education · Apr 9, 2026Watch the full meeting from 2:28:01
  • Speaking for myself, do you know if— well, we've had in the past year a change in immigration policy. …Hiram JacksonPresident · Davis Joint Unified Board of Education · Mar 12, 2026Watch the full meeting from 2:27:14
  • AI in schoolsI actually wanted to understand how the, the 2 AI tools were selected for piloting to begin with, because I mean, there's a lot of stuff out there. …Amy KooPresident · Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees · Mar 4, 2026Watch the full meeting from 1:34:26
  • I did spend some time to send a letter to some of our federal friends asking that AMSD and a lot of school organizations ask that schools, churches, and hospitals be off limits to federal ICE activities. …Jim DeMayTreasurer · Mounds View Public School District School Board · Jan 27, 2026Watch the full meeting from 40:32
  • I just feel like our community needs stability. An interim superintendent does not give us the stability that we, we thrive.Angie GalloBoard member · Orange County School Board · Aug 25, 2026Watch the full meeting from 2:24:19
  • Phones in schoolFirst, there are— there will still be personal electronic devices that will not be prohibited, uh, such as laptops and iPads. …Keita Kalonji JohnsonSchool Board Member · Susquehanna Township School District School Board · Aug 3, 2026Watch the full meeting from 46:23
What stood out
1Reading and test scores

At least 1 in 5 school board meetings we read this year discussed reading and test scores

It came up at 571 districts at least, one of the 9 issues we measure. We catch about 6 in 10 meetings that discuss reading and test scores (90% range 54–73%).

Discussed it 25 in 100Didn’t 75 in 100

Share of school board meetings that discussed it: 25.5% of 4,162, 90% range of our count 24.1%⁠–⁠27.0% · since Nov 1, 2025 · 1 square = 1 in 100 meetings · blind check by a third AI reader: 52 of 52 right · How we count

Share imageSee the meetings
2Long meetings

The typical board meeting runs about an hour and a quarter; 20 ran past six hours

Los Angeles Unified, CA · 9 h 04 minDavis Joint Unified, CA · 7 h 46 minFort Worth ISD, TX · 7 h 19 min10 h 00 min5 h 00 mintypical 1 h 19 min

Each spike is the longest meeting that day · every date-checked full board meeting, Nov 2, 2025 – Oct 28, 2026 · 5,174 meetings · past 4 hours we use the length of speech, first word to last, and left out 75 of 255 such videos where speech stopped for 30 minutes or covered under 90% of the video · How we count

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3Public comment

100 members of the public spoke at one Fort Worth ISD board meeting, on Apr 28, 2026: one of the two biggest turnouts we counted (100 and 96)

One dot per public speaker, counted, never named · one of the two biggest turnouts we counted · TX · How we count

See the meeting
4When boards meet

61% of the board meetings we read were on a Tuesday or a Monday

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Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun

Date-checked full board meetings by weekday and month · Dec 1, 2025 – Oct 28, 2026 · 5,191 meetings at 1,346 districts · Tuesday and Monday are too close to call apart (90% range for the two together 59%⁠–⁠65%, resampling districts) · Fridays 41, weekends 12 · when meetings happen, not a trend · How we count

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