Why the way we pick leaders matters for the schools we build.
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There’s been a lot of buzz lately about who gets to sit on school boards and maybe even more importantly, how they get there.
It’s a conversation that cuts to the heart of how we run public schools.
Because school boards aren’t just bureaucratic bodies. They’re the heartbeat of a school’s direction, the group that sets the vision, safeguards the mission, and ensures the school truly reflects its community.
So what’s better, electing or appointing board members? Critics of charter schools here in Indiana will often argue that charter school boards are not representative because they are appointed rather than elected.
Like most good debates, the answer depends on what you value most: in this case, the real choice is between optics and impact—between what looks representative and what actually is.
Elected boards, as is the case in most (but not all) school districts in Indiana, are often seen as the most democratic option. They let people vote for who represents them, a process that feels familiar, transparent and fair.
In a perfect world, elections give every parent and community member an equal voice. But in practice? The system often favors those with time, money, and connections.
Running a campaign takes resources, something working parents, single caregivers, or those juggling two jobs rarely have. Historically, that’s meant fewer board seats for people of color, families with young children, or lower-income community members, the very people schools most need represented.
In 2022, 78% of school board members nationwide were white, even though white students made up less than half of the public school population. They were also disproportionately higher-income earners. So while elections look democratic, they often reproduce the same inequities our schools are trying to dismantle.
When we rely solely on elections, we risk building boards that reflect political and social power, not community reality.
Appointed boards work differently. They’re designed with intention, not politics.
When schools can appoint board members, they can recruit people who:
For public charter schools, this flexibility is crucial. Unlike large districts, charters don’t have layers of administrative departments. Their boards are the strategic backbone, the brain trust that helps leaders make smart, community-rooted decisions.
And when a school can handpick a board that truly reflects its families and strengthens its operations, everyone wins: students get stability, communities get representation, and schools get expertise. Of course, it is critically important that appointed board members do not just become a rubber stamp for the school administration. Too many charter schools that fail have a board that lacked the level of oversight that was needed.
Critics sometimes argue that appointed boards feel less “democratic.” That’s fair, transparency matters. But democracy isn’t just about ballots. It’s about voice and access.
Appointed boards can actually make representation more accessible for people who can’t afford to run for office or navigate political networks.
They open doors for parents who know what’s working (and what’s not), for local leaders who want to give back, and for educators who understand kids better than campaign slogans ever could.
Representation isn’t about who can win an election, it’s about who can make decisions that center students and serve the community.
Indiana’s public charter schools are built on the idea of autonomy and accountability, freedom to innovate, paired with the responsibility to deliver results.
Appointed boards, done intentionally, can and do reflect that same balance. They give schools the flexibility to build leadership that’s mission driven, diverse, and deeply connected to the community, while still being held accountable by authorizers and the public.
Because when you strip away the politics, school governance isn’t about process—it’s about purpose.
It’s about ensuring the people shaping our schools actually see the students they serve.
Elected boards offer visibility. Appointed boards offer voice.
Both have value, but when our goal is to build schools that reflect their communities, appointments often get us closer to that vision.
At the Indiana Charter Innovation Center, we believe strong governance starts with strong representation—and that means removing barriers, not building new ones.
Appointed boards, done right, don’t close the door on democracy; they open it wider, making space for every kind of voice our communities hold.
Because great schools don’t just happen. They happen when the people at the table truly represent the community they serve and lead with the same purpose that brought them there in the first place.
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