School Board Candidate Information
If you have an interest in helping shape the future, then you should consider serving on your local school board. The Missouri School Boards’ Association reminds all interested citizens that the first day of candidate filing for the April school board elections is December 11 for most school districts in the state. For some school districts in the Kansas City area, filing opens on December 18. Filing closes for all school districts on January 15.
There are relatively few qualifications necessary to run for a position on a local school board of education in most school districts in the state. A candidate must be a citizen of the United States, a resident taxpayer of the district, a resident of Missouri within one year and at least 24 years old.
Successfully elected board members are further required to complete sixteen hours of orientation and training for within one year of their election (RSMo.162.203).
School board candidates may find the following resources useful.
- Candidate Welcome Letter
- Resource List
- A Candidate’s Guide to Running for the School Board
- Sample School Board Member Ethics Policy
- Foundational Principles of Effective Governance
- Video: What School Board Candidates Need to Know
- New Board Member Training Schedule (May 2013 through March 2014)
- Secretary of State's Election Calendar


