is a school board position election considered a partisan election?

The HATCH Act forbids federal employees from running for public office in partisan elections. What makes a public office election a partisan election? The candidates are in the papers with their party affiliations noted.

Public Comments

1. When people get the ballot to vote, the candidates are listed by party. That makes it a partisan election. School Board elections here (where I live) are partisan elections. So, if you have a federal job, you can't run for School Board. I think it might have something to do with a conflict of interest.
2. It has been non-partisan everywhere I've been aware of. I worked for DOD for 30 years, and was elected to the local fire commission during that time. Considered the school board. Was appointed to a Superior Court position for two terms. Considered running for the County Board of Supervisors but didn't want to expose my kids to too much politics. Even at it's best politics is a nasty and dishonorable business (the fellow who ran in my place was elected easily, but had to resign because he harassed an county employee sexually). Through all of that I always checked with our OC and was cleared to participate.
3. If they are required to list a party affiliation to run, then it's a partisan election. Where I live, school board positions and city council positions are non-partisan, but county-level positions and above are partisan.