School Boards

All Oregon school districts are governed by boards of directors (school boards). School boards may have five, seven or nine members.

School board members are elected for four-year terms either at large or by zone. (ORS 332.124 and 332.126)

Any resident of a district may run for a school board position if that person is a registered voter and has lived in the district for one year immediately preceding the election. However, if a school board candidate is a school district employee and is elected to the school board in that district, that person cannot serve on the board unless he/she resigns from the job. (ORS 332.018)

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Board Elections

If board members are elected at large, they may live anywhere in the district and be elected for any position.

If board members are elected by zone, they may:

• Live within the zone and be elected by all voters in the district, or
• Live within the zone and be elected only by voters who live within the zone. (ORS 332.124)

If local school district board members are nominated by zone, they generally are elected at large.

The voters determine the method by which school board members are nominated in a particular district.

The board then decides whether candidates will be elected districtwide or by zone. If a district is zoned, the board determines the boundaries, keeping them as equal in population as possible. (ORS 332.122 and 332.128)

Community college and education service district board members are nominated by zone and elected by zone, except for at large positions, if there are any.

About half of the more than 1,400 school board members in Oregon’s school, community college and education service districts are elected or re-elected the third Tuesday in May in odd-numbered years. (ORS 255.335)

The filing deadline for school board positions is in March on the 61st calendar day prior to the May election date. (ORS 255.235)

If no one files for a position, the person who receives the most write-in votes is elected. If this person is ineligible to hold office, or if there are no write-in candidates, the board declares the position vacant and appoints someone to fill it until the next regular election. [ORS 332.124 (3)]

School board members do not receive compensation for their services — they are unpaid, elected volunteers.

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Recall Elections

School board members, like other elected public officials in Oregon, are subject to recall. A petition to recall a locally elected official cannot be circulated until the officer has actually held the office for six months.

Any voter who circulates a petition to recall a school board member must first file the petition with the county clerk. The petition must state the reasons for the board member’s recall.

The number of signatures required for a recall election is 15 percent of the total votes cast in the electoral district for all candidates for governor at the most recent election at which a candidate for governor was elected.

If the required number of valid signatures is collected within 100 days after filing the prospective petition, the public officer is notified and given the opportunity to resign. If the officer does not resign within five days after the petition is filed and signatures are verified, a special election must be held within 35 days. If the officer does resign, the resignation is accepted and takes effect on the day it is offered. (Oregon Constitution, Article II, Section 18, and ORS Chapter 249)

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Vacancies

A vacancy on a school board caused by the resignation, removal or recall of a board member is filled by appointment by the remaining board members unless a majority of the board resigns or is recalled. In that case, the education service district board appoints replacements.

Any person appointed to a board serves until June 30 following the next regular election date (the third Tuesday in May in odd-numbered years). Candidates for positions not regularly scheduled for election at that time are elected for the unexpired portions of the terms. (ORS 332.030)

In cases where a school board member resigns after the May election filing date, the county clerk establishes a special filing period, if the resignation is effective more than 20 days prior to the election, and the candidate’s name appears on the ballot. If the resignation is effective 20 days prior to the election or later, the position is filled by board appointment until the next May election in an odd-numbered year. (ORS 255.245 and OAR 165-20-035, 165-20-040 and 165-20-045)

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