How To Run For School Board
8 min
There is no such thing as an “off-year.” We’ve all heard this before. But what does it mean?
First, there are more open seats on the ballot in 2025 than in 2024 – because there are elections taking place every month in the US. That’s our daily democracy – few (if any) headlines, down-ballot but closer to home, and what most of us come in contact with in a routine day compared to larger federal elections.
Second, and even more eye opening in light of the second Trump Administration’s push to dismantle the Department of Education: A huge chunk of the open seats in 2025 are on school boards. We’re talking over 22,000 seats across 37 states that will affect over 100 million Americans. If you have ever considered running for school board, now is the time.
According to the Center for American Progress:
School board elections typically have very low voter turnout, often only 5-10%.
School board elections are often extremely close, sometimes being decided by just a few hundred votes.
School board elections with higher voter turnout are associated with higher academic performance for students in the district compared to those with lower voter turnout.
Nearly 80% of school board members are white, despite a majority of public school students being nonwhite.
BallotReady also found that 60% of school board seats on the ballot went uncontested in 2024.
But the road to getting there isn’t always easy. School board elections are unique races where the regular rules don’t always apply. Here are seven tips to help you navigate the specific challenges of running for school board if you want to run.
1. Leave the Partisan Vitriol at the Door
Being a candidate for the legislature or Congress is frequently about embracing a partisan fight. You’re rallying your people to vote against the other side and reminding them that the stakes are high.
School board elections require a more gentle touch. President John F. Kennedy once said that “children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” When voters cast their ballots, they’re deciding who they trust with that precious resource.
It’s easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day politics of the school board. It’s even easier to get swept up by the national political environment of partisan vitriol and big fights. Our advice: Don’t fall into this trap. Most voters just want to elect someone who will put their children first. They want a school board that will care, listen, and ensure their children are safe and given a quality education with every advantage available.
2. Find Your Passion, Focus On It
Our schools are the center of so much of what’s important for our community. They lead on math, sciences, arts, sex education, work skills, civic engagement, technology – and that’s just the classes. They also keep kids engaged with sports, theatre, music, and clubs that nurture their interests. It’s where children make their first relationships and become adults.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the different functions of a school. But winning school board candidates find what drives them and make that the focus of their campaign.
NDTC learners Heather Reynolds and Rick Haring of Central Bucks School District were fed up with the status quo, turned off by the book bans, and tired of chaos. So they decided to run. Their wins made the difference to flip their board blue, and they got to work making positive change in their community.
When you find your passion and your “why” for running, it shines through the noise of politics, and voters are drawn to it. It helps your authenticity as a candidate committed to students and families over politics.
3. Understand Teachers
There are 3.8 million teachers in the United States, and they’re watching their school board elections carefully. When their friends ask who they should support, what will they say? They’ll look to the candidates who speak to the problems they face in the classroom every day.
You need to understand and engage with teachers to run a successful school board campaign. If you are a teacher, congratulations! You’re ahead of the curve! Even still, sit down with a teacher and listen to the struggles they face and the opportunities the school board has to alleviate them. These are the people community members take voting cues from, and you need to align closely with them.
4. Knock on Doors
Depending on the size of your race, knocking on doors may be the key to getting the votes you need. But it can give you something just as valuable: feedback.
Polling is rare in local races, so you need another way to get feedback from the community to ensure you’re on the right track.
This is called relational canvassing, meaning your goal isn’t just to get votes, but also to collect feedback and understand your electorate in a meaningful way. Talk to folks and take the feedback you get to heart.
5. Know the Issues
Public education leaders know how complicated running a school board can be: balancing a range of priorities, decision making for staff, and overseeing large budgets.
These leaders want to see your passion, but they also want to see you do your homework. Take the time to learn about the history of your school district and the issues they’re grappling with. Talk with local leaders who dedicate their time to these issues. Listen, inquire, and read up on what they are. As a bonus, you might turn a few of these leaders into supporters and endorsers.
6. Intimately Know Your Schools
School board races are uniquely localized. Parents may not recognize them as issues stemming from their school district, but are deeply engaged in the problems at their children’s schools. Some face long commutes for bus riders. Others have outdated, crumbling classrooms. Many benefit from arts programs that are always on the chopping block. Know the issues your schools face so you can speak with authority, empathy, and a commitment to address them.
7. Know Your Message, and Keep it Simple
You’ve studied up on the issues, met with your community, and found what drives you. Now you need to simplify your message.
Most voters are far too busy with their daily lives to keep up with their school boards. Which means that whatever message you want to convey must be delivered simply and connect to your voters.
The research on decision making is clear: emotions are the main drivers. Find simple messages that get positive reactions. It’s not just about what you have to say, it’s about how you say it.
Now that you’ve learned the basics of running for school board, get your campaign off the ground with our on demand courses for getting started.
If you have another campaign need, click here or the buttons below to join NDTC and build your path to victory.
