A national survey of the characteristics of school board members revealed all of the following except which?

• A. Most members were male
• B. Most members identified as being politically moderate
• C. Most members were poorer than the general public
• D. Minority membership was less than 14% of all members

Answer: (C)

National research on who serves on school boards looks at demographics and representation in local governance. The typical picture is that board members are more often male, many identify as politically moderate (since these roles are usually nonpartisan and focus on practical policy), and minority membership tends to be underrepresented (often well under 14%). The finding that doesn’t fit this pattern is the idea that most members are poorer than the general public. In practice, board members tend to come from middle- to upper-income backgrounds and are not typically drawn from the poorest segments of society. That combination makes the poverty statement the one that doesn’t align with the survey results.