you should run for your school board

If you’re passionate about the type and quality of education that children in your community are receiving, then you should run for school board!

A school board, often referred to as a board of education is a corporate body that oversees and manages a public school district’s affairs, personnel, and properties. School board members are elected by the residents of the school district that the board oversees. As a school board member, you would be responsible for prioritizing and approving the budget for the school district, having final say on the hiring/termination of an employee in the district, hiring and evaluating the superintendent, and making decisions on school openings and closures. Additionally, you would approve many components of the district’s daily operations including the school calendar, contracts with outside vendors and curriculum and establish the vision that reflects the overall goals of the community, staff, and the board. 

As a school board member, policies and issues that you will address include graduation rates, disciplinary actions, special education and disability services, standards for measuring teacher effectiveness, updated curriculum, experiential learning opportunities, healthy food options, and technology infrastructure, just to name a few.

There is no required background to have when running for school board. To run for school board, in most states, you will need to be a registered voter, be a resident of the district you’re running in,not be convicted of a felony, and not be a current employee of the district. However, these skills will be vital to have if you are considering running:

  • Ability to make decisions and be a team player
  • Able to problem solve
  • Public education advocate
  • Good communication and listening skills (you will be talking to many parents!)

Did you know that 43% of approximately 82,423 school board members are women? We’re so close to equal representation and if you run for office, chances are you won’t be alone! Consider running for school board and bring a friend, too.

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