TAMPA, Fla. – Amendment 1 addresses school board elections. Most states across the country hold nonpartisan school board elections.

If Amendment 1 passes, Florida school board candidates starting in 2026 would run with a party label next to their name on the ballot.

READ: Here's what Amendment 1 would mean for school board elections in Florida

Lynn Gray, a member of the Hillsborough County District 7 school board, doesn't think that's necessary.

“Students are not partisan, and our children are certainly not partisan,” Gray said.

Gray is among some school board members and teachers who believe partisan race will influence what is taught in the classroom.

Fellow board member Nadia Combs agrees.

“I think the most important information to have is what this person is about and what they represent and who they are as a person, not politics,” District 1 resident Combs said.

But some parents say politics has already seeped into schools.

“I think it's just a prerequisite for us to go into an election understanding the platform that the candidates are coming from and knowing that those values ​​are going to be more aligned with my own,” explained mother Julie Gebhards.

She says partisan school board elections will help voters make a more informed decision.

“Let people vote based on their values. You can choose whether that’s an R or a D next to the name.”

The decision to bring the issue to a vote came from two Republican state representatives and was jointly introduced by 13 other Republicans.

Florida is currently one of 41 states with laws allowing nonpartisan school board elections.

Florida had partisan school board elections until an amendment was passed in 1998.

Click here to read the full amendment.

Amendments 1, 2, 5 and 6 were voted on by the Florida Legislature. Amendments 3 and 4 are citizens' initiatives.

Read more about Amendment 2

Read more about Amendment 3

Read more about Amendment 4

Read more about Amendment 5

Read more about Amendment 6

Stay connected to FOX 13 TAMPA: