How to Run for School Board in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide

You care about your community, your schools, and the future of the students who grow up in them. Maybe you’ve watched decisions being made that don’t reflect what families or teachers are asking for. Maybe you’ve seen challenges go unaddressed while school board meetings get bogged down in distractions. Or maybe you simply believe your district deserves leaders who listen, show up, and focus on what really matters.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you could make a difference, running for school board is one of the most direct ways to shape the quality, equity, and direction of public education in your community.

This guide breaks down how to run for school board in 2026, from understanding the role to getting on the ballot and running an authentic and community-first, grassroots campaign.

What Is a School Board?

A school board is a group of locally elected leaders who set the vision, policy, and priorities for public schools in a specific district. Across the country, there are more than 13,000 public school districts governed by about 82,600 school board members, nearly all of whom are community members, not career politicians.

School boards play a crucial role in shaping how students learn, how resources are used, and how schools respond to the needs of families and educators. And because more than 90% of school board elections are officially nonpartisan, candidates typically run without party labels appearing on the ballot. That means voters focus on people, ideas, and trust instead of partisan identity.

What School Board Members Actually Do

While every district operates a little differently, school board members are generally responsible for:

• Hiring and evaluating the superintendent, who oversees daily district operations

• Approving and managing the district budget, including staffing and programs

• Setting academic goals and performance standards

• Establishing policies that guide everything from attendance to school safety

• Overseeing curriculum decisions and instructional materials

• Managing facilities, transportation, and long-term planning

• Listening to and representing community concerns

In short, school board members help determine what students learn, how schools function, and where district dollars go. Their decisions directly affect the day-to-day experience of students, teachers, and families.

How to Become a School Board Member in 4 Steps 

Running for school board is perfect for parents, educators, and neighbors who care deeply about their community’s kids and want to make a difference. “Do not wait for somebody else to lead,” said Zahid Khan, school board member in the Elmont Union Free School District of Elmont, New York. “Step up. If you are a professional, if you are a parent, if you are a taxpayer, and if you know that you have the required skills or if you have the skill sets to lead and make a change, then go for it.”

Here’s how to get started, and how to build a campaign that can actually win.

Step #1: Learn the Rules and Your Local Landscape

Before you announce your campaign or print yard signs, you need to understand how school board elections work where you live.

Every district has its own structure, rules, and timelines. Getting grounded in the basics will help you run strategically and serve effectively if you win.

Check Your Eligibility

Eligibility requirements vary, but most school board candidates must:

• Be a U.S. citizen

• Be at least 18 years old

• Be a resident and registered voter in the district, sometimes for a minimum period, like 30 days to a year

• Have no disqualifying felony convictions under state law

You typically can’t run if you’re currently employed by the school district because of the inherent conflict of interest. However, some districts have different rules for current employees versus substitutes or contractors. The best way to confirm your eligibility is to contact your county or local board of elections. 

Understand How Your School Board Is Elected

As you research, look for answers to these questions:

• How are seats elected? Some school boards elect members in an at-large capacity, where everyone in the district votes. Other seats may only be voted on by specific districts.

• How long are terms? School board terms are usually between two and six years. Some districts stagger terms, so not all seats are up for election at once. 

• Are seats partisan or nonpartisan? In most places, no party label appears next to your name on the ballot, even if party groups get involved behind the scenes. 

• When are school board elections held? Some are aligned with the November general elections. Others are in the spring or tied to local primaries.

Understanding these details will shape who your voters are, when you’re campaigning, and what it takes to win.

Where Are School Board Elections Happening in 2026?

Every school district sets its own election calendar, and many have filing deadlines that fall months or even half a year before voters ever see a ballot. 

Here are a few examples of districts with confirmed school board elections in 2026:

• Arkansas: Arkansas recently changed its law under Act 503, moving school board elections to even-numbered years and aligning them with the state primary. As a result, many districts across the state will elect board members on March 3, 2026.

• Lodi School District in Lodi, Wisconsin: Lodi has published its 2026 election details, with the school board election set for April 7, 2026, and filing paperwork due in early January.

• Nyack Union Free School District in Nyack, New York: Nyack UFSD will hold its annual school board election on May 19, 2026, with three seats on the ballot. Most New York districts follow this same statewide schedule.

• Los Angeles Unified School District in Los Angeles, California: In one of the nation’s largest school districts, three seats on the LAUSD Board of Education will be up for election during the primary on June 2, 2026.

• Chicago Board of Education in Chicago, Illinois: Chicago continues its transition to a fully elected school board. In November 2026, voters will elect 20 district seats plus a board president.

These examples show just how different local election calendars can be. Once you know your district’s timing, you can work backward to plan your filing, fundraising, outreach, and campaign launch at the right moment.

LEARN MORE: Use GoodParty.org’s election look-up tool to see upcoming school board elections and filing windows where you live.

Step #2: Plan Your School Board Campaign

Once you understand your local rules and timeline, it’s time to build a campaign plan that fits your life, your district, and your goals.

You don’t need a massive operation. You do need clarity on your message, team, and budget.

Define a Student-First Message

In a nonpartisan race, voters don’t see party labels. They see you: your story, your priorities, and how you talk about their kids’ schools.

Your campaign message should answer three simple questions:

• Why are you running for school board?

• What do you want to improve, protect, or change in your district?

• How will your experience and perspective help students and educators thrive?

Start by listening more than you talk. Attend school board meetings, town halls, and PTA gatherings and engage in real conversations with parents, teachers, and students. 

School board member Carol Greenstreet in Woodland Park, Colorado, decided to run for office in 2025 after watching a hyper-partisan board take over:

“I felt like there was nobody left in the room that had any experience or even knew the right questions to ask, and I thought it was time to get some experience back on the board.”

Greenstreet’s campaign stayed focused on local issues, not partisan drama.

“We really kept a positive approach to everything and ignored the negative,” she said. “I chose to just lead with the issues that our school district is having and ignore some of the things people like to make a big deal out of, but aren’t relevant in our community.”

That’s a powerful model to follow, building a clear, local, positive message grounded in real district challenges. 

LEARN MORE: Explore how to craft your own winning campaign message. 

Build a Small but Mighty Team

You don’t have to hire consultants or build a huge campaign staff, but you’ll need a few people in your corner.

Think about friends, family, and neighbors who could take on roles like:

• Campaign treasurer to handle finance reports and recordkeeping

• Volunteer coordinator to schedule canvassing, phone banking, and events

• Digital helper to maintain social media and a simple campaign website

Also, consider teaming up with other people running in your area if you seem aligned on the same mission. In Woodland Park, Greenstreet didn’t run alone. She and two other women running for the board helped each other along the way:

“When we canvassed, we canvassed for each other, and we were able to knock on over 3,000 doors. At least half of our community is rural, which makes all of that so hard. But we still did it.”

Your team doesn’t need to be big; it just needs to be committed and aligned.

Budget for What Matters

School board campaigns are often more affordable than state or federal races, but you’ll still need a basic budget.

Common expenses include:

• Filing fees, which vary by state, but are often under a few hundred dollars

• Yard signs and banners

• Flyers, palm cards, and mailers

• A simple website or landing page

• Room rentals or refreshments for small events

You don’t need to outspend everyone. You need to spend strategically on things that help voters hear from you, meet you, and remember you. 

Don’t forget to keep good records from day one. You’ll need them for campaign finance reports later.

Ground Yourself in Why You’re Running

As you plan out your campaign, keep your focus on why you’re running in the first place.

Santosh Salvi, a member of the Board of Education in Nashua, New Hampshire, put it simply:

“That’s the reason I’m on the Board of Education. You need to contribute. You need to help people. You need to make some positive changes in their lives and then just see how it goes.”

The mindset of contribution, not ego, will carry you through the hard parts of campaigning and governing.

LEARN MORE: Use our free campaign checklist to keep yourself on track as you go. 

Step #3: File the Paperwork to Get on the Ballot

Filing and paperwork can feel intimidating, but this is the moment you go from thinking about running to actually running for office. 

Requirements vary widely, but most school board candidates will complete some version of:

• Declaration of Candidacy: A form where you officially state your name, the specific school board seat you’re running for, and your contact information. Some places require this form to be notarized, so don’t wait until the last minute.

• Financial Disclosure Forms: Many states require school board candidates to disclose sources of income, property or business interests, and any potential conflicts of interest. You may also need to name a campaign treasurer, open an official campaign bank account, and agree to file regular finance reports.

• Background Check or Affidavit: Some districts ask candidates to undergo a basic criminal background check or sign a sworn statement affirming they haven’t been convicted of certain offenses. This is especially common because board members work closely with policies that affect children.

• Nominating Petitions: In many places, you must collect a certain number of signatures from registered voters in your district or subdistrict. The required number can range from a few dozen to a few hundred. Some states have strict rules about petition formatting, who can witness signatures, or ink color.

Treat signature-gathering as your first big outreach opportunity. Introduce yourself at the door or at community events, listen to what people say about local schools, and keep track of early supporters so you can follow up closer to election day.

Most importantly: know your deadlines. Filing windows can open and close earlier than you expect, especially for spring 2026 elections. Check with your local election office or use GoodParty.org’s election look-up tool to triple-check dates and instructions.

LEARN MORE: Understand what paperwork you’ll need to file to get on the ballot. 

Step #4: Run a Grassroots Campaign That Connects

Once you’re officially on the ballot, your job shifts to earning trust and turning that trust into votes.

You don’t need a million-dollar budget to run for school board, but you do need relationships, visibility, and consistency.

Center Your Campaign on Students, Not Slogans

Your core message should answer:

• Why are you running?

• What do you believe public education should provide for every child?

• How will you help your district move closer to that vision?

Keep your message clear, local, and focused on students and educators. 

As Illinois’ Huntley School District school board member Andy Fekete put it, “Partisan politics does not have a place on our school boards, in our communities, or in our schools. Students come to us from many, many backgrounds and beliefs. We need to create learning environments that support all of our families.”

Build a simple, memorable campaign brand with a consistent color scheme, a clean, readable logo, and a short tagline or phrase that captures your priorities. Use that branding across your yard signs, social media accounts, flyers, and campaign website. 

Show Up Where Your Community Already Is

Some of the most effective school board campaigns are the most old-fashioned:

• Attend school board meetings and speak during public comment when appropriate

• Visit PTA meetings, school plays, sports games, and student performances

• Table or canvass at farmers’ markets, libraries, and community events

Door-to-door canvassing is still one of the best ways to build recognition and trust.

Robin Brown said door-knocking was a pivotal aspect of her school board campaign in Prince George’s County, Maryland. In addition to going door-to-door herself, she also got her family involved: 

“My kids were canvassing as well. My husband was canvassing. My aunts were canvassing. Anybody who was related to me, who can speak on my behalf, was canvassing with me,” Brown said. “I think that really solidified my win, honestly.”

A school board member from California, Christiaan VandenHeuvel, also found that door-knocking made a real difference in his campaign. The feedback he heard from the voters he met built his own confidence in his potential to win:

“I started meeting voters, talking with them, and hearing them going, ‘Yes, I've heard about you. You're the person that we all support here. We've got five voters in this house, and we're all voting for you.’” About receiving supportive remarks directly from voters, VandenHeuvel said, ”When you hear that over and over again, it makes you go, ‘Okay, wait, this could actually happen.’”

As you canvass, lead with listening. Ask what people think about the district and take notes on common concerns. Over time, those conversations will sharpen your message and show voters you’re serious about listening, not just talking.

LEARN MORE: Connect with your voters with effective campaign outreach methods. 

Use Digital Tools to Amplify Your Reach

Digital outreach doesn’t replace showing up in person, but it can help you reach more people quickly.

Consider:

• A simple campaign website or landing page

• A Facebook page or other social media accounts for updates and short videos

• Email newsletters to keep supporters in the loop

• Text messaging tools to send reminders about events, voting, and donation opportunities

Civic tech platforms like GoodParty.org can make the digital side easier, with tools for campaign texting, a basic campaign website, templates for social media posts and emails, and voter data to help you target the right people. 

Fundraise Without Losing Your Independence

School board races are typically lower-cost than high-profile statewide or federal campaigns, but you’ll still need funds for outreach materials and campaign events. 

To start raising funds effectively: 

• Make it easy to give online with a donation link on your website

• Ask friends, family, and early supporters to be your first donors

• Host low-cost campaign events like backyard barbecues, coffee with the candidate, or library listening sessions

• Use email and texting to set specific, realistic fundraising goals

Many voters appreciate campaigns that rely on small-dollar donations from neighbors, not big special interests. Be transparent, approachable, and clear about how contributions will help you reach more voters.

Turn Support into Votes (GOTV)

You can run the most inspiring campaign in the world, but it won’t matter if your supporters don’t actually vote.

As election day approaches:

• Send known supporters GOTV texts with specific reminders

• Share countdowns and practical voting info on social media

• Remind people of polling dates, locations, and options like early voting and absentee ballots

• Ask supporters to bring a friend or family member

Local elections, including school board races, are especially vulnerable to low turnout, with only a few thousand votes or fewer determining the winner. So, a strong GOTV campaign can make a real difference. 

LEARN MORE: Get your community to the polls with these proven get-out-the-vote strategies. 

Lead Your Community Forward With Integrity and a Clear Focus

Running for school board is about showing up for students, families, and educators who want their district to be safe, effective, and responsive to real needs. 

In many communities, the simple act of stepping up makes a bigger difference than you might expect: in 2024, about 74% of local races, including many school board elections, went uncontested. When no one challenges the status quo, voters lose the chance to choose leaders who truly represent them.

That’s why campaigns grounded in authenticity and integrity stand out. Candidates who listen, learn, and stay focused on day-to-day issues, rather than distractions or sensational headlines, often resonate the most. 

People want school board members who understand their district, care about students, and are committed to making decisions that strengthen public education.

GoodParty.org is here to empower local candidates who care about their communities with free and low-cost tools that make it easier to plan, organize, and run people-powered school board campaigns. From messaging and voter outreach to digital tools and filing guidance, we’re here to help every step of the way.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash