Forsyth school board hopefuls debate faith, taxes, parental rights

Faith, taxes and parental rights took center stage as Chris Grimes and Mitch Young, two Republican hopefuls for the Forsyth County school board, laid out their case to voters before the May 19 primary.

The contest matters because the Forsyth County Board of Education is not a symbolic post. It is the five-member body that governs Forsyth County Schools, approves budgets, weighs curriculum disputes and oversees the superintendent, with members elected by district to staggered, four-year terms. The board meets monthly at the Forsyth County Board of Education and Professional Development Center at 1120 Dahlonega Highway in Cumming.

Two of the five seats are on the ballot this year. The primary is set for May 19, 2026, the general election for Nov. 3, 2026, and a runoff would follow on Dec. 1, 2026 if no candidate wins a majority. Forsyth County Elections has also moved its election operations to the Freedom Park campus at 2435 Freedom Parkway, a shift that adds another local change for voters trying to keep up with an already busy election calendar.

The race comes as Forsyth County Schools continues to serve a large and fast-growing district. Ballotpedia lists enrollment at 54,984 students across 42 schools during the 2023-2024 school year, a scale that turns school board races into high-stakes fights over how much taxpayers pay, what students are taught and how much authority parents should have in local schools.

That is why the forum’s focus mattered. Discussions of faith-based concerns, parental rights and taxes signaled the issues most likely to shape the next board’s approach to spending, policy disputes and public trust. For Forsyth parents, the difference between candidates is likely to show up less in campaign slogans than in votes on budgets, boundary decisions and arguments over classroom content.

For 2025, Mike Valdes serves as board chairman and Wes McCall as vice chairman. Those are the offices the next board will inherit, along with the pressure that comes with representing one of Georgia’s most closely watched suburban districts. With two seats open and the primary approaching, the forum made clear that the next school board will face immediate choices on money, authority and the boundaries between family values and public education.