School Board Elections in Texas

📌 Quick Facts

🗳 Election Dates	May or November
👤 Eligibility	U.S. citizen, age 18+, 12-month state and 6-month district residency, registered voter
🗂 Term Length	3 or 4 years
🗳 Ballot Format	School board elections are officially nonpartisan, with no party labels on the ballot; however, political affiliations and ideological views often influence campaigns and voter perceptions.
📍 Electoral Boundaries	Trustees may be elected at-large or by single-member districts, depending on the district’s structure
🏫 Authority	School boards have the authority to adopt budgets, set tax rates, and oversee district policies, directly impacting school operations and student outcomes.
📉 Turnout Issue	May elections often see low voter participation
📣 Flashpoints in Education Policy	Issues such as library books, sex education, and diversity policies have made trustee elections focal points in broader state and national political conflicts.

Overview

School board elections in Texas serve as the mechanism through which trustees of independent and consolidated school districts are chosen. These trustees possess legal authority under state law to govern local educational institutions, and their elections are subject to specific constitutional and statutory provisions designed to ensure accountability, transparency, and public input. The process is grounded in the Texas Constitution and implemented through provisions of the Texas Education Code, the Texas Election Code, and related statutes.

Legal Foundation and Governance Role

The Texas Constitution does not directly address school board elections. However, it authorizes the Legislature to provide for the organization and governance of public education. Article VII, Section 1 of the Texas Constitution establishes the duty of the Legislature to “establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.” Pursuant to that mandate, the Texas Legislature has enacted laws delegating operational control of public school districts to locally elected boards of trustees.¹

Under Education Code § 11.151(b), “[a] school district board of trustees has the exclusive power and duty to govern and oversee the management of the public schools of the district.” This includes adopting policies, overseeing the district’s budget, hiring and evaluating the superintendent, and ensuring legal compliance with state and federal educational mandates.

Election Schedule and Terms

School board elections must be held on one of the two uniform election dates specified by the Texas Election Code—either the first Saturday in May or the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.² Each school district must choose one of these dates by resolution.

Trustees generally serve three- or four-year terms, depending on district policy, with terms staggered to preserve institutional continuity.³ Elections are held on a nonpartisan basis, and candidates do not run under party labels.⁴

Candidate Eligibility and Ballot Access

Eligibility to serve as a school board trustee is set forth in both the Texas Election Code and the Texas Education Code. A person is ineligible to serve as a trustee unless they meet the following criteria:

• Must be a United States citizen;
• Must be at least 18 years of age;
• Must have resided continuously in Texas for 12 months and in the specific school district for at least six months immediately preceding the filing deadline;
• Must be a registered voter in the territory from which the office is elected.⁵

The application for a place on the ballot must be filed in accordance with Texas Election Code § 141.031 and must include a sworn statement and all required declarations of eligibility. The filing period begins in mid-January for May elections and in mid-July for November elections.⁶

In addition to filing the application, each candidate must designate a campaign treasurer and comply with applicable campaign finance laws, including periodic reporting of contributions and expenditures, as mandated by the Texas Election Code Chapters 251 and 254.

At-Large vs. Single-Member Districts

School districts in Texas may conduct trustee elections using at-large voting, single-member districts, or a hybrid system combining both.⁷ In at-large elections, all eligible voters in the school district vote for all available trustee positions. In single-member district systems, the district is divided into electoral zones, and voters within each zone elect one trustee to represent them.

Election Administration and Oversight

The local board of trustees is responsible for ordering school board elections and ensuring compliance with applicable statutes. Pursuant to Texas Education Code § 11.0581, a school district may enter into agreements with a county to conduct joint elections, especially when other local elections are scheduled for the same date.

Notices of elections must be posted in accordance with Texas Election Code § 4.003, which requires publication in both English and any other language required by the federal Voting Rights Act. Ballots must list candidates in accordance with Election Code § 52.092, and the election must be conducted using approved voting systems and procedures.

Filling Vacancies and Election Controversies

In the event of a vacancy on a school board, the remaining trustees may either appoint a replacement or order a special election, depending on the timing and local policy.⁸ If a trustee fails to meet residency or voter registration requirements, they may be disqualified from holding office. Ineligibility challenges have periodically led to candidate disqualifications even after elections, as seen in several recent judicial decisions and administrative rulings.

Contested elections may be resolved through legal challenge pursuant to Texas Election Code Chapter 233. Grounds may include improper administration of the election, candidate ineligibility, or fraud.

Voting Systems and Voter Turnout

Voter turnout for school board elections—particularly those held in May—is historically low. As school board races are often the only items on the ballot during May elections, many voters fail to participate unless other high-profile elections are also scheduled. This dynamic has led to legislative debate over whether May elections should be consolidated into November general election cycles to boost participation.

Some critics argue that special-interest groups can wield outsized influence in low-turnout elections, shaping school policy with minimal public input. Proponents of the current system contend that separating school board elections from partisan general elections helps preserve their nonpartisan character.

Trustee Responsibilities After Election

Once elected, trustees must complete training as required by the State Board of Education and the Texas Education Code § 11.159. Topics include governance, financial oversight, and ethics. Trustees are also subject to public records laws, the Texas Open Meetings Act (Texas Government Code Chapter 551), and financial conflict-of-interest regulations under Chapter 171 of the Texas Local Government Code.

School board decisions must be made by vote during public meetings, and trustees may not act unilaterally. The board, as a collective body, establishes district policy and exercises oversight, while day-to-day administrative responsibilities are delegated to the superintendent.

Statutory Citations

1. Texas Education Code § 11.051 ↩︎
2. Texas Election Code § 41.001 ↩︎
3. Texas Education Code § 11.059 ↩︎
4. Texas Education Code § 11.063 ↩︎
5. Texas Education Code § 11.061; Texas Election Code § 141.001(a) ↩︎
6. Texas Election Code § 144.005 ↩︎
7. Texas Education Code § 11.052 ↩︎
8. Texas Education Code § 11.060 ↩︎