Orange school-board candidates address partisanship, book decisions, state funding and religious opt-outs at forum

A forum featuring five candidates for the Orange City School District Board of Education on Wednesday centered on four issues voters cited as priorities: the role of partisan endorsements in a nonpartisan race, whether board members should overrule teachers or librarians on classroom or library materials, how to respond to state-level funding changes, and whether students may be excused from class during the school day for religious instruction.

The candidates introduced themselves and their qualifications, then answered community-submitted questions. Several emphasized that the board’s decisions should be student-centered and that professional educators should generally lead curriculum and material choices.

Why it matters: Voters will choose a new board member in November; the candidates’ approaches to politically charged topics such as book challenges, state education funding and accommodation for religious practices reflect tensions many Ohio districts face as state lawmakers consider new education policies.

Most candidates said endorsements do not…