Metro Nashville’s school-board races just got a lot easier to size up. A newly published candidate questionnaire spells out where the seven people running for four MNPS seats stand on safety, the budget and the superintendent’s role. With the May 5 primary less than three weeks away, those written answers could help shape who controls district policy and oversees a roughly $1.4 billion budget. Districts 2 and 8 feature incumbents on the ballot with no primary opposition, while the contests in districts 4 and 6 are drawing the most attention.
The questionnaire was assembled by the Nashville Banner and includes responses from most candidates; one incumbent did not return it, according to the outlet. The Banner said it sent the same set of questions to all seven hopefuls so readers could compare short, side-by-side answers on hot-button issues. Together, those replies offer a quick primer on where each candidate lands on school safety, spending priorities and oversight of the superintendent.
Who’s on the ballot and what’s at stake
Davidson County voters will choose members for even-numbered districts – 2, 4, 6 and 8 – in the May 5 primary, with early voting scheduled April 15–30, according to Metro Nashville Elections. The roster includes incumbents Rachael Anne Elrod (D-2) and Erin O’Hara Block (D-8) and multiple challengers in districts 4 and 6, as listed on the county’s candidate roll and reported by the Nashville Tennessean. Because most contenders filed as Democrats in these districts, the May 5 primary could effectively decide the outcome in races where the general electorate tends to lean the same way.
Contested races to watch
The marquee matchups are in District 4 and District 6. In District 6, incumbent Cheryl Mayes is facing former board member Fran Bush and Mary Bernice Polk in a race defined by neighborhood concerns about safety and school funding. Local coverage, including reporting from the Nashville Tennessean, has noted Bush’s earlier tenure and high profile on safety issues as key pieces of the rematch dynamic.
Board powers and recent votes
The nine-member board hires and evaluates the superintendent, sets district policy and oversees the budget, according to Metro Nashville Board of Education information on the district website. Those responsibilities give the races outsized impact for something that sits so far down the ballot. Recent board actions have included a pilot and rollout of Evolv weapons-detection units and a vote to adopt modestly later start and end times for the 2026–27 school year, both issues that show up repeatedly in candidate answers to the Banner questionnaire and in other local reporting.
Voters who want to read the full responses from each candidate can find them collected in one place in the Nashville Banner package. They can also consult the county’s sample ballot for early-voting and polling details before May 5, according to Metro Nashville Elections. With just weeks left, the questionnaire offers a streamlined way to compare where each hopeful stands on the issues most likely to shape the incoming board.
