Democrats doubled their seats on the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) from four to eight on Nov. 3, breaking the Republican supermajority that controlled curriculum decisions for more than five million public school students.

The results remain unofficial pending certification, and one race could still flip.

In District 8, Democrat Dana Van De Walker leads Republican incumbent Audrey Young by roughly 500 votes, according to unofficial results from the Texas Secretary of State, Houston Public Media reported. Young could request a recount.

What it means locally

SBOE District 6, which covers Montgomery County, The Woodlands and Conroe, was among the contested seats. Democrat Michelle Palmer, a teacher since 2009, won the statewide District 6 race, according to Houston Public Media. But in Montgomery County alone, Republican Tiffany Nelson, a former Conroe Independent School District (CISD) trustee, carried 64% of the local vote, according to Woodlands Online.

The board sets standards known as Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS, which outline what students learn in each grade. It also approves instructional materials, oversees teacher certification standards and can veto charter school applications, according to the Texas Tribune's voter guide.

Curriculum battles already in Woodlands classrooms

The shift matters because the outgoing Republican-led board approved several changes that directly affect Conroe ISD families.

The board approved the Bluebonnet reading curriculum in late 2024. The kindergarten-through-fifth-grade program includes biblical teachings in reading and language arts lessons. Fewer than 200 of the state's more than 1,200 districts ordered the materials, The 74 reported. Conroe ISD, with about 72,000 students, adopted it.

Since then, Conroe parents have submitted written requests to opt their children out of biblical material, The 74 reported. District officials told The 74 they are not tracking how many requests they have received.

Destinee Milton, a Conroe ISD parent with a second grader and a fifth grader, told the board that creating alternate lessons adds to teachers' workload because the religious content is woven into the same books as other lessons.

The board also rewrote social studies standards for kindergarten through eighth grade, de-emphasizing world history in favor of Texas and U.S. history. In September, it approved changes to history lessons that portray Islam in a largely negative light, Houston Public Media reported. Those changes take effect in the 2030-2031 school year.

What comes next

Tricia Cave, a lobbyist with the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE), told Houston Public Media the new makeup will force a different approach. "It's going to require Republicans and Democrats to learn how to work together to get things done," Cave said. That kind of compromise "is not something we've seen from this board in quite a while."

Not everyone plans to cooperate. Republican board member Brandon Hall, whose term runs through 2029, wrote on social media that he would "use every available procedural tool" to slow any Democratic agenda. "If a Democrat assumes leadership of the Board, that person should prepare for some late nights and long weeks in Austin," Hall wrote.

The new board will also work alongside Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, who promised during her campaign to replace Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, Houston Public Media reported. Democrats also took control of the state House, which could change education legislation affecting the board's proposals.

Unofficial results must still be certified by the Elections Commission before any outcomes are final.