Press Release: In New Op-Ed, School Board Integrity Project Executive Director Calls for Urgent Action to Protect Public Education from Trump
Kyrstin Schuette warns of coordinated attacks on school boards and calls for increased civic engagement in local elections.
August 15, 2025 — In an op-ed published Friday in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Kyrstin Schuette, founder and executive director of the School Board Integrity Project, sounds an urgent alarm about what she describes as a "full-scale attack on the foundation of our nation's public schools."
The piece, titled "Public education is under attack under Trump. School boards must fight back.," directly addresses the intersection of federal education cuts, the Supreme Court, and coordinated efforts to capture local school boards. Schuette warns that with over 30,000 school board seats up for election in 2025, the stakes for America's approximately 50 million public school students could not be higher.
Read Schuette’s full op-ed in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
A Perfect Storm Threatening Public Education
Schuette's analysis outlines how recent federal legislation, dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill," combined with Supreme Court decisions affecting the Department of Education, has created unprecedented challenges for public schools. The legislation cuts funding for teacher training, after-school programs, English learner support, and essential services like school nurses and mental health counselors.
"While Republicans in Washington weaken America's public schools, right-wing political groups are moving in, with a clear plan to seize control of our local school boards," Schuette states. "For years, Republicans have treated school boards as entry points for political power, using them as bully pulpits to wage culture wars, test extremist policies, and launch political careers. What we're seeing today is the culmination of that strategy, now supercharged by federal disinvestment and national coordination."
Low-Turnout, Low-Information Elections
Schuette highlights a critical vulnerability in American democracy that enables extremist takeovers: "With only 5% to 10% of voters participating in school board elections, right-wing candidates often sail to victory – sometimes in uncontested races – not because they represent the majority, but because fewer people are paying attention."
This low-turnout environment has created what Schuette describes as the perfect conditions for organized political groups to advance agendas that don't reflect community values.
Local Elections with Outsized Impact
In spite of these challenges, Schuette emphasizes that local communities still hold significant power. "Despite these federal cuts, school boards still control the most important levers of our public education system: how local dollars are spent, what curricula students are taught, who leads our districts, and whether schools are safe and inclusive," she writes. "Not only are school boards emerging as a key institution with the power to resist Trump's agenda, they are a training ground for future leaders, with school board members representing the nation's largest group of elected officials."
Her op-ed serves as both a warning and a rallying cry: "Investing in school board races is investing in our democracy at every level."
Schuette frames the stakes in stark terms: "If we want to protect our kids and our country, we need to treat school board elections like what they are: a fight for the future."
She also warns that the current situation represents more than just budget cuts: "Yes, this is a story about education cuts. But it is also a warning shot from a political movement that sees schools not as places to nurture kids, but as battlegrounds to shape culture and consolidate power."
The op-ed concludes with an urgent call to action, reminding readers that "the future we choose for our schools is the future we choose for our country."
In 2025, Ballotpedia is covering elections for more than 30,000 school board seats across the United States, representing one of the largest democratic exercises in local governance. With nearly 1 in 5 elected officials in the U.S. serving on a school board, these leaders comprise the nation's largest group of elected officials and make decisions affecting millions of students daily.
Read Schuette’s full op-ed in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
About the School Board Integrity Project
Founded in Minnesota in 2023, the School Board Integrity Project is now active in 18 states with hundreds of school board candidates on ballots. The organization recruits, trains, and supports school board candidates who champion the values of integrity, respect, excellence, belonging, and trust. In the 2024 elections, over 70% of school districts with SBIP-pledged candidates saw one or more of their candidates elected.
About Kyrstin Schuette
Kyrstin Schuette is a campaign veteran and political strategist who founded the School Board Integrity Project after experiencing firsthand the impact of politicized school boards. As a student in the Anoka-Hennepin School District, she was the lead plaintiff in a federal civil rights lawsuit that resulted in significant policy changes to protect LGBTQ+ students from harassment and discrimination.
Media Contact Information
For interview requests or additional information about the School Board Integrity Project, please email press@schoolboardintegrityproject.org
Op-Ed Publication Details
The op-ed "Public education is under attack under Trump. School boards must fight back." is published in the Friday, August 15, 2025 edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.