Every March, school board candidates across the state submit their filing information to seek a seat on local school boards. School board elections throughout Delaware are held on the second Tuesday in May.
Polling places are open from 7 am to 8 pm, with polling places varying by district and often different from general election polling places. Residents may vote in any polling place in their school district. For information about locations, voters may browse to find their specific information at the Delaware Department of Elections website.
Who is Eligible to Vote in School Board Elections?
- It is not necessary to be registered for purposes of a general election to vote in school board elections.
- Every citizen 18 years of age or over who resides in the school district is eligible to vote at the school board election in the school district in which the citizen resides.
- The voter must present reasonable identification.
School Districts in Delaware
Delaware has 16 public school districts with elected school boards. The three vocational-technical districts are governed differently and do not have elected school boards. School boards in Delaware are comprised of unpaid, elected trustees serving 4-year terms. Board members may serve multiple terms if re-elected. Board size varies by school district. Some districts are split into specific nominating areas where board candidates must reside, while others have all at-large boards or a mixture of both. School district websites often list their currently elected school board officials with their term of service details and contact information.
The Department of Elections website lists of open school board seats and filed candidates each year. In addition, Delaware school board candidate profiles are availabile on LWV's VOTE411 online voter guide in the weeks leading up to each year's school board election in early May.
What do school boards do?
This National School Boards Association (NSBA) website article highlights their importance: About School Board and Local Governance...
School board members are the unsung heroes in communities throughout the country. They establish the vision and goals for the public schools in their district, and they set standards for the performance of schools and superintendents.
Most school board members are elected by people in their community to represent their values, views, and desires for the public schools in their district. As selected leaders in their community, they consistently communicate with the public to keep community members abreast of challenges, ideas, and progress.
School board members are tasked with an important responsibility: educating nearly 50 million children – almost nine out of every 10 students – who receive their education in public schools. Board members are more than policy-makers and administrators; they are advocates for students and their parents and entrusted to engineer a better future.
Local school quality affects not only parents and students but the entire community. Children are our future! The entire community should help in selecting a competent and compassionate school board to guide them.
