Democrats Sweep All Nine Winston-Salem School Seats

Families in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County will see one party control every seat as a new superintendent search begins.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Administration

Democrats Sweep All Nine Winston-Salem School Seats

Live Poll

Do you think local schools will do better with one party holding every board seat?

Democrats won all nine seats on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2026, including incumbents Alex Bohannon and Trevonia Brown-Gaither. The current board will hold its final meeting on Nov. 10, and the new members take office at an organizational meeting in December.

Why it matters

A single-party board means party politics is not expected to shape the election of a new chair, and the incoming members will set the direction for school policy, budgeting, and leadership for local families. The board is also expected to begin the search for a new superintendent, since interim Superintendent Randy Bridges' contract ends in January.

All nine seats on the board went to Democrats, and the current board's final meeting is set for Nov. 10 with a limited agenda. The new board's organizational meeting is December 8, 2026, at the Education Building at 4801 Bethania Station Road.

The players

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education

The elected body that governs the county's public schools and sets policy, budget, and leadership direction for local families.

Randy Bridges

Interim superintendent of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools whose contract ends in January, leaving the incoming board to begin a superintendent search.

Deanna Kaplan

Chairwoman of the current school board who will preside over her final meeting on Nov. 10.

The details

The current board chose to hold a full meeting on Nov. 10 with only a limited number of discussion items, rather than the work session originally scheduled. The goal is to resolve current business so the incoming board begins with a fresh agenda. Chairwoman Deanna Kaplan will preside over her final meeting, and the new members take their oaths and elect a chair at the December organizational meeting. School leaders cautioned in October that the yearly audit may be delayed by software issues.

Nov. 4, 2026: Nine Democrats elected to the school board.
Nov. 10, 2026: Current board holds its final meeting.
Dec. 8, 2026: New board holds its organizational meeting and elects a chair.
January 2027: Interim Superintendent Randy Bridges' contract ends and twice-monthly meetings resume.

The Home Front

School board control shapes how property-tax-funded budgets, school assignments, and facility decisions are made in the county. A full-party sweep of a board is a shift in local governance that households often track alongside their own property and childcare costs.

If your household has children in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools, watch for the December organizational meeting and the board's first decisions in January. Keep track of school calendar, enrollment, and budget updates from the district as the new leadership takes shape.

The takeaway

A full-party board means the next leadership decisions, including the superintendent search, will be made by a single slate of members. Parents who want a voice should note the December 8 meeting and January's return to twice-monthly sessions.

What happens next

The new board's organizational meeting is December 8, 2026, where members take their oaths and elect a chair. The board will meet once in December and return to twice-monthly meetings in January 2027.