By Meline Toumani Getting involved with your local board of education doesn't have to mean running your own campaign for a seat or taking detailed notes at every single meeting. Read on to find out how school boards work, what they do, how they can be effective and what you should know about the candidates before heading to the polls. School board members make up the largest body of elected officials in the United States. Every district has a board of education, and boards generally meet every month in meetings that are open to the public. These gatherings range from tame rubber-stamping sessions to intense, provocative discussions with the community where controversial issues are debated and landmark decisions are made.
School boards are nonpartisan.
In most districts, members serve four-year terms, and terms are staggered so seats don't become open all at once. In general, to run for school board, you have to be at least 18 years old, a citizen of the state, a resident of the district, a registered voter and eligible, under the state constitution, to be elected to public office. In most cases, a school district employee can't be a board member in that district. This means no teacher, principal, librarian, custodian or anyone else that works in a school in the district can serve on the school board, unless they resign from the employed position. Somewhere in between the agendas, public comment sessions and resolutions, school boards make a number of important decisions.