ATLANTA — Voters throughout metro Atlanta cast their ballots for a variety of municipal elections Tuesday, and one of the biggest races on constituents' minds was for the Atlanta Board of Education. Five of the nine seats were up for grabs.
Many voters had their priorities in mind while casting their ballots at the Buckhead Library. Many people said they want consistency and quality in Atlanta Public Schools.
The district has had its fourth superintendent since 2014, and inside the classrooms, parents said they want teachers who can better educate their children while keeping them safe.
“I reviewed each of their websites and did my research," Joe Crowley said.
Crowley has a 10-year-old daughter and made sure he did his homework to cast his vote for the Atlanta School Board candidate who represents similar priorities for his family.
“The important things for me are voting on a school board are really people who are thinking about the future of education, progressive education, and making sure we have the technical resources needed for Atlanta Public Schools," Crowley said.
Serving students of all needs was another important topic at the polls.
“I want a candidate who is interested in special ed, inclusion, and someone who’s not necessarily interested in politics," Kathi Byrne said.
Voters want to make sure students have the grades to get into college and succeed in their next steps.
“I’m hoping and trusting that they are competent enough to know and understand what the needs are for our youth today because our youth are our future," Diana Johnson said.
Another big issue for voters was the revolving door of superintendents. APS has its fourth superintendent in a decade. The district currently has an interim superintendent while the school board looks for a permanent replacement.
“I think consistency is always important," Crowley said.
“Hopefully the people on the board are looking at that and trying to figure out what we need and what some of the pitfalls have been in the past," Byrne added.
Ahead of election day, the candidates said their top concerns are improving leadership at the top, test scores, and embracing diversity.
The school board is responsible for about 50,000 APS students and oversees a $1.6 billion budget.