Filing for a School Board Election

General Information

  • The filing deadline for School Board elections is the first Friday in March at 4:30 p.m.
  • School Board members elected to full school board terms after December 31, 2021, are four (4) years, per the provisions of HB92.
  • Contact the Department of Elections if you have any questions

Seats up for election

School Board Qualifications

  • Must be a citizen of the United States and Delaware and live in the school district
  • Must be 18 years of age or older at the time of the election
  • Must live in the nominating district for which he/she is a candidate
  • Cannot be a paid employee of the district subject to rules & regulations of the board
  • Must never have been convicted of embezzlement

How to file

  • Obtain a criminal background check and Child Protection Registry check under Section 309 of Title 31 of the Delaware Code, through the State Bureau of Identification (SBI), in accordance with Section 209(b) of Title 14 of the Delaware Code.
    • Information on where, when and how to get these checks completed is available at the Delaware State Police website, https://dsp.delaware.gov/obtaining-a-certified-criminal-history, or by calling (302) 739-5871 in Kent County or (302) 739-2528 in New Castle County and Sussex County.
    • Appointments are required for the Delaware State Police Troop 2) [New Castle County] or Georgetown [Sussex County] locations. Walk-ins are accepted at the Dover [Kent County] location between 8:30AM and 3:00PM.
    • When you go, inform the SBI staff that you are obtaining a background check in order to qualify as a school board candidate. This is a fingerprinted Delaware and national criminal background Check and Child Protection Registry background check under Section 309 of Title 31 of the Delaware Code. The cost for this check is $65.00
    • Instruct the SBI to send the results to:
          Delaware Department of Elections
          ATTN: School Board Candidate Filings
          905 S Governors Ave, Ste 170
          Dover, DE 19904
  • Get a School Board Member Filing Packet from the Department of Elections or download it.
  • File a completed Candidate Filing Form and a Delaware Child Protection Registry Consent Form with the Department of Elections no later than 4:30 p.m. on the first Friday in March in the year of the election.
  • The filing form must be notarized. The Department will notarize your form if you choose to file in person at the Department’s office.
  • Complete and submit a Certificate of Intention to the State Election Commissioner.
  • A candidate may withdraw by filing a Withdrawal Form to the Department of Elections before the date of the election.
  • The withdrawal form must be notarized. The Department will notarize your form if you choose to withdraw in person at the Department’s office.
Elections