In districts large and small, voters Tuesday settled a host of school board elections.
And while the races for volunteer trustee seats are nonpartisan, a smattering of school board races took on partisan and ideological overtones.
Here are thumbnails from several large districts. (Check back later Tuesday night for election results.)
West Ada
The three elections in Idaho’s largest school district featured the spendiest school board race in Idaho.
Challenger Challenger Tom Moore, a newcomer who moved to Meridian in 2014, loaned his campaign $50,000, to self-fund his race against René Ozuna. The incumbent reported more than $9,000 in donations, including large donations from Meridian Mayor Robert Simison and several builders and developers. She also secured an endorsement from a third candidate, Jeremy Cutler, who withdrew from the race.
Miguel Deluna, a Moore running mate, challenged incumbent David Binetti. Moore was Deluna’s biggest donor. Binetti — appointed in 2022, after leading the criticism of West Ada’s pandemic era mask mandates — self-funded his first run for a full term.
In the third race, another 2022 appointee ran for his first full term. Lucas Baclayon and challenger Susan Schuetz ran a relatively low-key and low-cost campaign.
Coeur d’Alene
The election for Coeur d’Alene school board trustees has drawn a considerable amount of money, as an incumbent seeks to retain her seat while a three-way contest will decide an open seat on the board.
Heather Tenbrink, whose four children have attended district schools, has raised $5,295 in her reelection bid against challenger Richard Blatt.
A U.S. Army veteran, who is backed by the Kootenai County Republican Party, Blatt has raised $2,010. That includes $100 from Brent Regan, Kootenai County GOP Central Committee chairman and an Idaho Freedom Foundation board member.
Jimmy McAndrew, Yasmin Harris and Mike Stavish are vying for an open seat currently held by Casey Morrisroe, who is not seeking reelection.
McAndrew has raised $17,523, including $200 from former Idaho Lt. Gov. Jack Riggs and $50 from former North Idaho College trustee and state Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene.
Harris, who is supported by the Kootenai Republicans, has raised $15,884, including $100 from Regan.
Coeur d’Alene trustees serve four-year terms.
Nampa
Nampa’s board of trustees will have two new members, regardless of the outcome of Tuesday’s election.
Current trustees Mandy Simpson and Marco Valle aren’t seeking reelection. Four candidates are vying for the two open seats on the board, which has made some controversial decisions over the last year, including to ban teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation.
One race has attracted significant donations. Adam Schasel, a former high school economics teacher, has raised $5,122, including $100 from Reclaim Idaho co-founder Luke Mayville.
Schasel’s opponent, real estate broker and district parent David Jennings, is backed by current chairwoman Brook Taylor, who is not up for reelection this year. Taylor donated $492 to Jennings, the majority of his $814 in total donations.
The other Nampa contest pits general contractor Jay Duffy against educator Stephanie Binns. The candidates appear to have opposing views on debates around gender identity in schools.
This year, Binns advocated for classroom discussions about gender identity. Duffy told the Idaho Press that he opposes transgender students participating in sports or using restrooms that don’t align with their birth and that he’s “tired of certain views being pushed upon our children.”
Nampa trustees serve four-year terms.
Caldwell
Caldwell’s three races took on some partisan overtones.
Nicole Trakel — the wife of state Sen. Chris Trakel, R-Caldwell — challenged incumbent Travis Manning, an eight-year incumbent and former Democratic legislative candidate.
Nicole Hyland, a political ally of the Trakels, took on incumbent Andrew Butler. Ray Horrell sought to unseat incumbent Manuel Godina.
The politics of this election actually began to take shape earlier in the year, when Caldwell trustees considered a policy to allow students to use restrooms and facilities aligned with their gender identity. At a January board meeting, Chris Trakel argued vociferously against the policy — which was tabled a month later. The 2023 Legislature later passed a law overriding Caldwell’s proposed policy; the law, still mired in court, requires students to use facilities aligned to their gender assigned at birth.
Kuna
In Kuna, two incumbents faced opposition.
Hillary Lowe — the owner of Lowe Family Farmstead, a popular corn maze and pumpkin patch — challenged two-term incumbent Joy Thomas, a Democratic legislative staffer. Michael Thornton took on incumbent Russell Johnson.
Kristi Hardy and James Grant squared off in the third race.
Out-of-state money factored into these suburban races. Lowe and Hardy each raised around $15,000 for their campaigns — including large donations from two Arizona developers with ties to a Kuna-area project, and large donations from two residents that reported a San Ysidro, Calif., home address, according to the secretary of state’s office.
In the spendiest of the three races, Thomas sought to counter Lowe’s support by tapping into a base of prominent Boise Democrats.
Idaho Falls
Three incumbent Idaho Falls School District 91 trustees face challenges from school board newcomers, including a few backed by the local GOP.
Kari Vogel and Melissa LaPray both hope to unseat board chairwoman Hillary Radcliffe. A local business owner and consultant, Radcliffe is completing her first full term after winning election in 2019 following an appointment to the board earlier that year.
Patrick Jackson and Jordan Oseen are challenging incumbent Jeremy Westwood. Westwood, a housing developer, was appointed to the school board this year following a resignation.
Incumbent board treasurer Elizabeth Cogliati faces challenger Shay Ricks. Cogliati, whose two high school children attend district schools, is completing her first term after winning election in 2019.
The Idaho Falls Education Association endorsed all three incumbents, while the Bonneville County Republican Party endorsed challengers Johnson, Ricks and LaPray in the nonpartisan races.
Idaho Falls trustees serve four-year terms, starting Jan. 1 following their election. Terms on the five-member board are staggered, and trustees for zones 1 and 2 will be up for reelection next year.