North Carolina public schools are serving more Latino students, but that diversity is not reflected on school boards, an analysis shows.
Without representation, Latino students may feel that their needs are overlooked.
According to an analysis by the Center for Racial Equity and Education, in 2022 Latinos represented around 20% of students in North Carolina public schools. However, they identified that less than 1% of school board members are Latino.
These boards wield significant influence over resource allocation and educational policies.
Elaine Townsend Utin is the co-founder and executive director of LatinxEd, an educational nonprofit that advocates for Latino representation in school leadership.
Greater representation, she argues, leads to better academic outcomes for Latino students.
“In order to guarantee to the Latino community that we seek to solve challenges that affect them, we need to invest in their voices, their ideas, their creativity,” Townsend Utin said. “They need to be in those spaces that ultimately have the power during decision-making.”
Opening the path of representation
Alexandra Valladares, a graduate of Hillside High School in Durham, navigated language barriers after migrating to the US with her single mother.
Valladares is the first Latina on the Durham School Board.
“Our young people have to see those examples,” Valladares said.
Latino students vary: some are fully bilingual with family support, while others are first-generation and struggle with English and navigating school.
Despite progress in expanding programs like the International Baccalaureate and Dual Language Immersion, issues such as bullying and disciplinary disparities persist. Those are issues she raises as a school board member.
“Some young people see the injustices,” Valladares said. “Sometimes they feel challenged because they see that there may be bias with discipline and opportunities to enter advanced classes or new programs.”
The DPS School Board sets an example for increasing Latino representation in leadership.
In 2022, Emily Chavez joined Alexandra Valladares on the Durham Public Schools Board, getting closer to full representation for a district that is 34% Latino.
Despite progress, Valladares, as the first Latina, faced prejudice in a predominantly white environment. Reflecting on her experience since 2020, she noted occasional isolation in her efforts.
At Riverside High School, Valladares intervened when undocumented students faced threats from a sheriff with a history of racial assaults. Despite opposition, she organized forums with parents, students, and the superintendent, resulting in the officer’s removal.
“I could see that even with my power or my position in this area, sometimes changes cannot be achieved,” Valladares said. “But with the support of the community, it can be achieved.”
Latina pioneer in 2023
Elizabeth “Liz” Monterrey, elected in 2023, became the first Latina on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (CMS). About 31% of CMS students are considered Hispanic or Latino.
Monterrey emphasized the role of Latino representation on school boards in tackling the low academic performance of Latino students.
“Latino students are the lowest performing students overall at CMS, and that is a big challenge that we need to address,” Monterrey said.
In CMS schools, only 65% of students who speak English as a second language graduate on time, compared to 82% of all students.
She emphasized the importance of multilingual staff at CMS for improving student and parent engagement, noting AI’s potential as an innovative tool.
So why aren’t there more Latino candidates?
Running for school boards demands resources—time, money, and connections—historically less accessible to marginalized communities, compounded by low Latino electoral participation in North Carolina.
Wendy Padilla, a Latina elected to the Orange County Board of Education in 2024, highlighted that the role’s perceived thanklessness dissuades others from pursuing it.
“But if you want to make a change in your community and you want to uplift your people or uplift people, which is the way we should think, do it because help will come,” she said.
How to involve more Latinos on school boards
Monterrey stresses that achieving representation is challenging but feasible for those interested.
“You deserve to be there. You deserve a seat at the table,” she said.
Diana Urieta, co-developer of Juntos, observes that despite stereotypes, Latino parents are eager to engage in their children’s education.
“Sometimes it’s really important that we incentivize and then provide the resources necessary for parents to be successful in those types of roles, in those meetings,” Urieta said.
Townsend Utin expressed that community support is necessary to get more Latinos to apply for management roles and stay in them.
That’s why her organization created the LatinxEd Fellowship to support leadership development in educational positions throughout North Carolina.
“We’re really striving to open the doors to our entire community and tell them that if you truly want and are trying to create a more inclusive and equitable education system in North Carolina, there is a place for you here,” she said.
A version of this article was first published by Enlace Latino NC. It is syndicated by Beacon Media, please contact info@beaconmedianc.org with feedback or questions.