School Board 101: Roles, Duties & Campaign Tips

An illustration of a young person with light pink skin, long red hair, and a green top with a black collar, smiling against a bright yellow circular background. Used as a decorative representation of a school board member.

In each of the approximately 14,000 public school districts across the U.S., school boards play a critical role in ensuring students receive a high-quality education that prepares them for lifelong success. Around 95,000 people serve on school boards today. The size of a school board usually depends on the size of the community it represents.

School boards help shape the educational vision and policies of a district. Their primary responsibility is to set a direction for local schools that reflects the needs and goals of residents, educators, and students. In some places, school boards work alongside other governing bodies like municipal governments or state education departments. While many school boards are elected, others are appointed.

School boards serve K–12 students and can oversee a single district or larger, unified districts created by combining multiple smaller ones.

Responsibilities

School boards generally have three core duties:

Budget Development: Crafting and advocating for the district’s budget.
Policy Setting: Creating district policies on a wide range of issues.
Superintendent Oversight: Hiring, supporting, and evaluating the district’s superintendent.

Additional responsibilities may include:

Approving the school calendar
Negotiating employee contracts
Allocating funds for student services, extracurricular activities, and infrastructure
Monitoring district performance and compliance with state and federal guidelines

In recent years, many school boards have expanded their role in areas like curriculum approval, academic standards, and facilities management.

Helpful Skills

If you’re thinking about school board service, these qualities are valuable:

Familiarity with the School System: Whether through personal experience, as a parent, or as an active community member
Communication Skills: Speaking clearly and listening with empathy are key for working with families, teachers, and fellow board members
Commitment to Learning: Understanding district policies, finances, and governance best practices
Engagement: Attending school board meetings and joining subcommittees beforehand is helpful preparation.

The time commitment for school board members varies by district:

Some boards meet monthly, others weekly.
Members often participate in subcommittees, attend city/town council meetings, and are present at school events.

In most places, school board service is voluntary. However, in some larger districts, board members are paid for full-time service.

Volunteer roles: Most common
Paid positions: Range from approximately $27,000 to $137,000 per year

On average, school board members dedicate several hours per week to their role.

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The size and scope of a campaign depend on the district:

Small Districts: Low-budget campaigns often rely on door-to-door outreach, volunteers, and grassroots organizing.
Larger Districts: These campaigns typically require more funding for mailers, digital ads, and broader outreach.

Campaign costs can range from less than $1,000 to over $750,000, depending on district size and voter population.

Most school board campaigns are run part-time and supported by volunteers, focusing heavily on personal connections with voters.

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Be 18 years of age at the start of the term
Be a resident of the district that the individual is running to represent
Be a US citizen
Be free of felony convictions
Mentally capable to serve (cannot have been determined mentally incapacitated by a court of law)
In most places, a school board member can not be an employee or vendor of the district

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School Board Resources

Mayor

Responsibilities

Helpful Skills

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