Board members are elected to four-year terms, or two-year terms to fill a vacancy. You must be a registered voter and you must have lived in the district for one year immediately preceding the election. School district, ESD and community college employees elected to serve on their board must give up district employment to sit on the board. Your county elections official, superintendent, college president or school board member can tell you how board members are elected in your district.
Half of the board members in Oregon’s school, community college and education service districts are elected or re-elected in each odd-numbered year. Under Oregon law, such elections are held the third Tuesday in May.
The most recent election was May 20, 2025.
2025 IMPORTANT DATES:
Filing period opens Feb. 8
Filing deadline March 20
For voters pamphlet March 24
Election May 20
Prospective candidates can file in one of two ways:
Submit a petition containing the signatures of 25 registered voters or 10 percent of the registered voters in the district, whichever is less
Submit a declaration of candidacy with a $10 filing fee
Through workshops and conferences, OSBA equips school board members with the leadership training they need to perform at their best. To help prospective candidates answer questions about the process and prepare them to become school board members if they are elected, OSBA Board Development staff offered two webinars in January 2025.
The board’s major responsibility is setting policy. The board hires a chief executive (superintendent or college president), who in turn hires staff. Board members must also:
Establish budget
Approve curriculum
Set goals, evaluate progress toward those goals
Ask voters to approve bond measures and local option levies
Guide collective bargaining
It varies. School board service involves a substantial time commitment as an unpaid volunteer. Boards typically meet one or two evenings a month. Before the monthly meetings, you’ll need to study the materials. There are also committee meetings, work sessions and appearances.
Board candidate campaigns range from simple to sophisticated. One common element, however, is the state requirement for reporting campaign finances. State law limits the sources and amounts of contributions and the purposes for which those contributions may be spent. Contact the Secretary of State Elections Division online or at (503) 986-1518 for guidance.
OSBA helped establish the Oregon School Board Members of Color Caucus in 2016. Caucus members have identified their mission as “to promote quality education for all students with emphasis on the unique needs of students of color.”
Public education advocate
Skilled decision maker
Willing to devote time and energy to your volunteer position
Amazing, innovative and heroic stories take place in Oregon’s schools every day. OSBA wants to share some of the work that shows public education is #OregonStrong. Today we have a story from Umatilla School District:Umatilla High School Receives $8,000 Grant from the Wildhorse Foundation to Expand Student Journalism ProgramRead more: tinyurl.com/3fkzyuzu#OregonStrong #oregon #publiceducation#studentsuccess #educationmatters ... See MoreSee Less
Amazing, innovative and heroic stories take place in Oregon’s schools every day. OSBA wants to share some of the work that shows public education is #OregonStrong. Today we have a story from Ashland School District:Superintendent Hattrick's Message of LoveRead more: tinyurl.com/552wu8yc#OregonStrong #oregon #publiceducation#studentsuccess #educationmatters ... See MoreSee Less
The OSBA Bonds, Ballots and Buildings Conference in Salem on Friday brought school leaders together with industry experts to discuss the best ways to persuade voters to pass money measures for much-needed facilities.
The OSBA Bonds, Ballots and Buildings Conference kicks off today with the popular “Learn from the Winners” panel.
The conference is packed with resources, industry professionals and peer experiences to help school districts plan, pass and implement a bond or levy.
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