Become a School Board Member
Take the lead in shaping the future of education in your community.
Local school boards embody a unique American institution and are a cornerstone of our nation’s public education system. These boards exist to place the governance of public schools in the hands of communities and thereby tailor them to meet local community needs.
Elected by voters in their respective school districts during general elections in even-numbered years, school board members play a pivotal role in shaping educational landscape of their communities.
Responsibilities
As a school board member, you’ll be tasked with ensuring the schools in your district are well-managed and that students receive the best possible education. Here are some key duties:
- Ensure Accountability
Oversee that resources are used wisely and that high standards for academic success are set and met. - Promote Transparency
Give the members of our community an opportunity to be involved in and educated about the school district, its initiatives, and challenges. - Advocate for Students
Act as an ambassador for public education, communicating the value and needs of your district’s schools to policymakers at the local, state and national levels. - Abide by a Code of Ethics
Uphold a code of ethics to maintain integrity and trust in your role. - Specific Duties Include
- Hiring and evaluating the district superintendent.
- Approving the district’s budget and monitoring its implementation.
- Setting policies and approving curriculum materials.
- Monitoring progress toward district goals.
- Setting and Monitoring progress toward strategic plan and goals.
What School Board Members Don’t Do
- Implement policy (this is the superintendent’s job).
- Manage day-to-day district operations.
- Evaluate staff other than the superintendent.
School board members typically serve a four-year term, with elections during general elections in even-numbered years.
Who Can Become a School Board Member
Pursuant to A.R.S. §15-421 (C), school governing board members must meet these
Qualifications
- Be elected by the voters in the district or be appointed by the county superintendent of schools.
- Be a registered voter.
- When assuming office and during the term of office, not be an employee of the school district or be a spouse of a district employee nor have a dependent who is a district employee. “District employee” includes an employee of a third-party contractor providing services to the school district.
- A person who is employed, or whose spouse is employed, by a district can stand for election for governing board. However, if elected, the successful candidate and/or spouse must terminate employment with the district before taking office.
- 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.
- Not be subject to registration as a sex offender in any jurisdiction.
Steps to Run for a School Board
- Pick up or request an information packet from your county superintendent of schools.
- File a Statement of Interest before collecting signatures.
- Collect signatures on your nominating petitions.
- Submit your petitions during the designated filing period.
- Campaign to engage your community.
How ASBA Helps
Training and Orientation
ASBA provides new board members with a comprehensive orientation and ongoing training to help you succeed in your role.
Advocacy and Support
ASBA advocates for school boards at the state level and offers legal, policy, and executive search services to support your work.
Policy Development and Support
Our policy team is committed to making your policies not only compliant with the law but also tailored to the specific needs of your district. We offer phone or email support at no additional cost to member districts.
Resources
Access valuable materials, such as the ASBA School Board Service Booklet and leadership development tools.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Serving as a member of your local school board is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs you will ever undertake and is an enormous responsibility. As a school board member, the decisions you make will affect children and their parents, the livelihood of school district employees and the economic well-being of your community.
Service on a board requires time, energy, a willingness to learn about issues affecting your schools and a passion for leading a public school district committed to providing the best and most appropriate education for all children entrusted to its care.
Effective school board members share many attributes. Before declaring your candidacy for your local governing board, consider these important qualities:
- A conviction that public education is important.
- Courage to make difficult decisions, defend the philosophy and goals of the
- organization and withstand criticism from people who hold opposing views.
- The ability to accept the will of the majority and support a decision that
- the board makes.
- Respect for diverse perspectives and cultural backgrounds on the board and in the community.
- Commitment to a collaborative team approach to governance.
- A commitment to improving public education for all children in Arizona.
- A sincere desire to serve the community, rather than a desire for personal gain or to achieve a personal goal.
- The ability to understand the forces of change in our society and foresee, to some extent, the shape of the future in order to plan wisely
- Communicate well with others.
- Bring a broad base of knowledge and personal experience to the role.
- Vote with intelligence and confidence on complex issues such as finance, curriculum and student-employeecommunity relationships.
- Honor the reputation of the entire school district through public behavior and attitude.
- Adhere to the board’s roles and responsibilities.
- Be willing to learn from others.
- Invest the significant time and energy required for board service.
- Remain available to attend all board meetings and board-related work.
- Strive to be knowledgeable about policies and programs.
- Maintain and demonstrate professional respect for district staff.
- Engage meaningfully in their communities
Testimonial
“I have a son who’s in fourth grade, so I’ve been really involved in the district for many years, and the timing just seemed right to get involved and make sure our district continues in a good direction and keeping the focus on the kids. I’m really excited to dive in and learn. You know things at a broader level, but once you get involved you learn a lot more of the details. I’m really interested in what we can do to serve our special education students and their families. I am the first Black member of our school board.”
Triné Nelson | Kyrene ESD
Board Member
Begin Your Journey
Click on the link below to get access to our list of county superintendents in Arizona.
Ready to Lead?
FAQs
How often does a school board meet?
It varies. Pursuant to § 15‑321, Boards must meet at least once a month during the school year. Some boards regularly meet twice a month year-round while others meet once a month. Boards can also call for special meetings as needed. § 15‑321 also requires boards to hold an organization meeting in January of the year following the election of board members.
Will I get paid?
Governing board members receive no payment or other compensation for serving. Members may receive reimbursement for travel and subsistence expenses for authorized school purposes.
As a board member, can I be held personally liable for legal claims against the board or the school district?
As a general rule, no. By state law, governing board members are not liable for actions taken in good faith and within the scope of their authority. Boards also may receive legal counsel to advise them, and the liability insurance of most, if not all, organizations covers board members who are acting in their official capacity. A governing board member is not immune from liability, however, if he or she:
- Acts outside the scope of authority.
- Engages in criminal activity.
- Knows (or should have known) that an action violates a person’s constitutional rights.
- Commits an intentional tort, such as assault.
- Violates the open meeting or conflict of interest laws.
Can my company do business with the school district if I am a board member?
Yes, but a board member cannot vote on matters in which he or she has a conflict of interest. In most circumstances, a board member’s company may seek only contracts offered through competitive bidding. The conflict of interest restrictions applicable to governing boards vary if the district’s enrollment is greater or less than 3,000 students.
My child is open enrolled in a district where we do not reside. Can I run for that governing board?
No, you must reside in the district to serve as a board member.
What happens if I move out of the district while I hold office?
You would need to resign your position as you no longer meet the residency requirements.