Board members must:
- Be elected by the voters in the district or be appointed by the county superintendent of schools.
- Reside within the legal boundaries of the school district and have lived in the district for at least one year immediately preceding the day of election.
- Be a registered voter.
- Board members cannot be, or have a spouse who is, an employee of the district when assuming office or during the term of office.
Board members cannot serve simultaneously on more than one school district governing board.
Finally, a person who has an immediate family member sitting on a school district governing board and who has shared the same household of residence with that family member within four years prior to the election is ineligible to be a candidate for nomination or election to that governing board if the governing board is composed of five members unless the immediate family member is serving in the last year of a term of office; persons related as immediate family who have the same household of residence within four years prior are also ineligible to be simultaneous candidates for nomination or election to the governing board of the same school district if the governing board is composed of five members.
The position is unpaid, though some expenses may be reimbursed.
School board members have no individual authority over school matters. The authority of a board member includes expressing an opinion and casting a vote as a part of the governing board in a board meeting.