This speech presents the results of a study that examined whether a phenomenon previously observed in nonpartisan school board elections is also true of partisan school board elections. Previous studies had shown that school board incumbent defeat in nonpartisan elections is related to involuntary superintendent turnover. The study investigated that relationship in partisan elections. One hundred and eighty-one Pennsylvania districts where board members are elected as Republicans or as Democrats were studied and data were subjected to chi-square analysis. Five hypotheses were tested to determine if the partisan phenomenon changed this relationship. Based on these data, partisanism did not change this political process in the politics of local school districts. (Author/JF)