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 (expected to be signed into law 10/20/2021).
  • 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

  • PLEASE NOTE: Per the provisions of SS2 for SB 78 w/SA 1, prospective members of a school district board are required to undergo the background check for child-serving entities
    • Procedures To Complete Background Check for Child-Serving Entities:
      • Contact the State Bureau of Identification (SBI) https://dsp.delaware.gov/obtaining-a-certified-criminal-history/
        • Call 302.739.2528 to make an appointment for the check at either Delaware State Police Troop 2 in Newark or Georgetown SBI locations
        • Walk-in requests are accepted at the Dover SBI headquarters location during business hours of 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, closed for lunch from 11:30am-12:30pm
        • Indicate that the position for which the background check is being requested is as a school board candidate
        • Pay background check fee of $65 (the fee for a State and Federal Criminal Background Check for those affiliated with public schools/child-serving entities)
        • Fingerprints will be taken as part of the application process
        • Please direct the SBI to send the results of the background check to the Delaware Department of Elections, ATTENTION: 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 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 if not completed in 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 if not completed in the Department's office.
Elections