Pipeline + School Board Hub Update

We launched the Pipeline’s School Board Hub last month, determined to bring together pipeline network organizations focused on elected progressive candidates to school boards across the state. Given the persistent focus on school boards by right-wing extremists, it was clear in its first year that this is where the Pipeline needed to invest our time and energy.

Since July, we have quickly built the infrastructure necessary to support values-aligned school board candidates ahead of November. We are excited to report the following progress to date:

• The Pipeline’s School Board Hub is made up of more than 30 organizations whose goals include a focus on school board races this year, including labor, regional tables across the state, practitioners, and organizers on the ground. We have been meeting biweekly, and this has already worked to increase communication and coordination amongst pipeline partners.
• Together, the School Board Hub has identified nearly 100 priority school board races, including in key targets where extremists have been pushing trans student privacy violations, parental notification policies, and bans on teaching about race.
• Identified as a key gap within the progressive landscape, the Pipeline will be delivering a School Board Candidate Cohort. The cohort will focus on what the candidates will need between now and Election Day, including messaging on school board issues, fundraising tips and resources, further candidate training and advisement, and an introduction to key folks within the progressive ecosystem.

There is still a lot of work to be done and gaps to fund for the overall network building and the School Board Hub support. If you are interested in supporting the completion of this work through the 2024 cycle and looking into 2025, please reach out to Molly@CaliforniaDonorTable.org.