Run for School Board
School boards are a foundational part of shaping the future of our schools and communities. The decisions made by board members impact every student, family, and neighborhood in the district. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or engaged resident, running for school board is one of the most direct paths you can take to create meaningful change in our public education systems.
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Impacts on Students
- Curriculum and Instructional Changes: Boards approve resources, curricula, and manage what students will learn.
- Funding and Resource Allocation: Boards approve and manage school district budgets. This includes deciding how money is distributed across schools, programs, and student and educator support services. These decisions directly affect access to programs such as the arts, special education, and more.
- Policies and School Climates: Boards set discipline procedures, dress codes, safety protocols, and whether schools discrimination and harassment policies.
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Impacts on Families
- Representing your Community: When a parent runs for a position on the board they bring real-life insights into what families need and want from schools. This includes improvements on transparency, academic support, and clear communication between parents and school districts.
- Expansion of Support Services: Through community representation boards can identify gaps in their communities social well-being thus expanding wraparound services such as mental health, after school, and free meals for students. This can help working families and students beyond the classroom.
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Impacts on Communities
- Strong Schools = Strong Communities: Strong public schools contribute to community stability, can influence local property values, and play a role in attracting and retaining families.
- Civic Engagement: School boards are one of the most direct forms of local government. You running for a seat empowers everyday people to apply their voices into local government which will shape the future for generations to come.
- Public Good: Boards oversee millions in taxpayer dollars. Accountable board members ensure if used effectively, transparently, and in service of long-term community benefit.
Important Dates for the 2026 School Board Elections
Important Dates for the 2026 School Board Elections
March 6, 2026 at 4:30 p.m.
April 12, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
April 14, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
May 4, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
May 12, 2026
May 12, 2026 at 8 p.m.
May 14, 2026
DEADLINE for candidates for school board elections to file notice of candidacy
Campaign Finance 30-Day School Board Election Report period ends for all political committees (which includes candidate committees of school board candidates on the May 12, 2026 School Board Election ballot, political committees, and political action committees).
DEADLINE for all political committees (which include candidate committees of school board candidates on the May 12, 2026 school board election ballot, and political committees, and political action committees that have contributed to the school board candidates on the school board election ballot) to file the 30-Day School Board Election Report (must be filed electronically through the Delaware Campaign Finance Reporting System (https://cfrs.elections.delaware.gov).
Campaign Finance 8-Day School Board Election Report period ends for all political committees (which includes candidate committees of school
board candidates on the May 12, 2026 School Board Election ballot, and political committees, and political action committees that have contributed to the school board candidates on the school board election ballot).
School Board Election Polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
DEADLINE for voters to return voted School Board Election absentee ballots to the Department of Elections County Office conducting the election.
Department of Elections County Offices conducting the election.
Within 48 hours of the certification of the School Board Election results Department of Elections conducts public audit of the School Board Election results from randomly selected voting machines using the selection criteria in § 5012A(b) of Title 15 of the Delaware Code.
Within 96 hours of the certification of the School Board Election results DEADLINE for 25 or more persons who voted in a School Board Election to request, in accordance with 14 Del. C. § 1083(e), a recompilation of the results.
Board Eligibility Requirements:
Must be a citizen of the United States and Delaware and live in the school district
Must be 18 years of age or older at the time of the election
Must live in the nominating district for which he/she is a candidate
Cannot be a paid employee of the district subject to rules & regulations of the board
Must never have been convicted of embezzlement
How to File asa Board Member Candidate:
Get a School Board Member Candidate Filing Packet from the Department of Elections or download it.
File a completed Candidate Filing Form and a Delaware Child Protection Registry Consent Form with the Department of Elections no later than 4:30 p.m. on the first Friday in March in the year of the election. At the time of filing, a candidate shall submit a check for $14.00 payable to the State of Delaware for the cost of the Delaware Child Protection Registry clearance check.
The filing form must be notarized. The Department will notarize your form if you choose to file in person at the Department’s office.
Obtain a criminal background check and Child Protection Registry check
| Area | Key Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Academic Policies | Adopts curriculums, instructional standards, and school schedule |
| Resource Management | Approves textbook use, supplies, hires staff, oversees district finances |
| Legal Compliance | Enforces attendance laws, completes required reporting, files annual reports |
| Governance and Ethics | Takes oath, completes special education trainings, and ensures qualifications are met |
| Representation | Serves defined terms, represents at-large or sub-district seats, staggered elections |