Democrats Sweep All Nine Winston-Salem School Board Seats

Democrats won every seat on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education in Tuesday's election, and the current board will hold its final meeting Nov. 10.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Administration

Democrats Sweep All Nine Winston-Salem School Board Seats

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Nine Democrats were elected to the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education on Tuesday, including incumbents Alex Bohannon and Trevonia Brown-Gaither. The current board will hold its last meeting on Nov. 10, a session previously scheduled as a work session.

Why it matters

With all nine seats held by one party, party politics is not expected to factor into electing a new chairperson. The new board will also take on the search for a permanent superintendent as the interim superintendent's contract nears its end.

All nine seats on the board are held by Democrats, covering the full nine-seat board. The Nov. 10 meeting was converted to a full meeting with a limited number of discussion items to resolve current business.

The players

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education

The nine-member elected body that governs the public school district serving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

Deanna Kaplan

Chairwoman of the current Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools board, who will preside over the board's final meeting on Nov. 10.

Randy Bridges

Interim superintendent of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools whose contract ends in January 2027.

The details

The board decided to hold a full meeting with a limited number of discussion items on Nov. 10, with the goal of clearing current business so the incoming board starts with a fresh agenda. Chairwoman Deanna Kaplan will preside over her final meeting, and the new board will hold an organizational meeting at 4801 Bethania Station Road on Dec. 8.

Nov. 4: Nine Democrats elected to the school board.
Nov. 10: Current board holds its final meeting.
Dec. 8: New board holds its organizational meeting, taking the oath and electing a chair.
January 2027: Interim Superintendent Randy Bridges' contract ends and twice-monthly meetings resume.

Parents and students in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County will see the new board take its seats in December, with a leadership change at the top of the district. The incoming board is expected to begin the search for a new permanent superintendent.

The takeaway

Local school board elections shape the district's direction for years, so residents who want to follow the superintendent search can track the December organizational meeting and the January return to regular meetings.

What happens next

The new board will hold its organizational meeting on Dec. 8, when members take the oath and elect a chair, and will return to twice-monthly meetings in January 2027.