Sandy residents will choose who represents them on the Utah State Board of Education when they vote Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Republican incumbent Erin Longacre faces Democrat James Martin for the District 7 seat, which covers Sandy, Draper, Cottonwood Heights and Alta. The board oversees more than $4 billion in annual state and federal education funding, according to the Utah Education Association. Their positions on key issues emerged in a voter guide survey conducted by The Salt Lake Tribune.

The seat opened when former board member Molly Hart, a former Canyons School District principal, left to become state superintendent of public instruction. Gov. Spencer Cox appointed Longacre in August 2025. She won the Republican nomination at a special convention on April 25. Martin, a 28-year education veteran who has worked as a teacher, principal and Utah State Board of Education specialist, won the Democratic nomination the same day.

School choice

The Utah Fits All scholarship program, which provides up to $8,000 per student for private school or homeschool expenses, divides the two candidates. About 18,400 students participate statewide, according to EdChoice. A district court ruled the program unconstitutional in 2025; the Utah Supreme Court is reviewing that decision.

Longacre called herself "a big proponent of school choice" but also said she supports following the Utah Constitution and wants "tax dollars to be used correctly and with accountability." She did not say explicitly whether she supports the program as currently structured.

Martin opposed the program. He said public schools are not funded adequately and that he believes board members who advocate diverting money to private schools "violate their oath to serve public education in the state."

Book removals

Utah's sensitive materials law triggers a statewide book removal when three districts ban a title. Thirty-six books have been removed under the law, according to the ACLU of Utah.

Longacre said she supports the existing review process. Martin said the law strips local control, arguing that "three districts should not be determining the books available to every local education agency in the state."

Where they agree

Both candidates oppose mandatory third-grade retention, which state lawmakers approved under Senate Bill 241 (SB 241) starting in the 2029-2030 school year. Only 50.3% of Utah third graders read at grade level in 2025, according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.

Both support bell-to-bell cellphone bans in schools.

On immigration enforcement, both said schools should welcome all students regardless of status. Longacre said schools do not collect immigration data and that "if a child walks through our school doors desiring an education, we should be thrilled."

Mail ballots must reach a dropbox or the county clerk's office by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3.