You are needed on your school board

Here’s why you should consider serving on your school board. Let’s start with the obvious: District governance matters.

School boards control far more than most people think they do.

They direct all types of funding. That includes the funding for sports, arts, music, and theater programs. It also includes funding for teachers, therapists, classroom aides, administrators, and school nurses. Plus, there’s the funding for technology purchases, new buildings, sports fields, and curricula. Budgets aren’t sexy, but they’re the backbone of a stable school ecosystem where money flows properly.

School boards control hiring choices. It’s often been said (rightly so!) that personnel is policy. It is incredibly important that caring, smart, achievement-minded people serve as teachers and administrators. School boards ensure that the best teachers and administrators are serving their school.

School boards choose curricula. Poor curricula can have catastrophic consequences on student achievement, and high-quality instructional materials can significantly boost student achievement. As we have written, some curricula choices are so ideologically biased that they are unacceptable for use in the classroom. School boards can avoid these pitfalls with their choices.

Finally, school boards protect and sustain their community. The school board can infuse their school with a spirit of civic pride, an emphasis on student achievement, and an insistence on honest and strong governance. They are essential bulwarks of their hometown.

What happens at the state level matters, but what happens on the local level matters even more. One strong school board member can change the trajectory of an entire district, impacting hundreds of local children.

The majority of students in Minnesota can’t read or write at grade level. Your district should be different.

There are many school board positions open and uncontested in Minnesota, and many potentially contested seats where the incumbent isn’t prepared to think about wise governance. Could this be an opportunity for you to serve? To help your community, to turn things around in your school?

The window to file for school board candidacy is open July 14, 2026 until July 28, 2026 at 5 p.m. There are many resources available for potential and successful candidates, including our School Board Toolkit and the Minnesota Parents Alliance.

School district reform and renewal starts with you. Consider a run for your local school board today.