Alexandria City Public Schools, Virginia, elections
Election dates and frequency
Most county boards of education have elections in odd-numbered years either every two years or every four years. As of 2022, elections in all but one county — Arlington County — were off-cycle from federal elections. They are held at the same time as the state's odd-year state legislative and gubernatorial elections. There are 91 county school districts in Virginia. The Arlington County School Board holds elections every year.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 15.2
The elections for most city and town school boards are held during even-numbered years and are on-cycle with federal elections. There are several cities that hold school board elections in odd-numbered years or annually. Details of city and town school board elections are largely set in local charters. There are 41 municipal school districts in Virginia.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 22.1-57.3
Election system
School board members in Virginia are elected through nonpartisan general elections without primaries.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 22.1. Education and Section 24.1. Elections
Party labels on the ballot
School board elections in Virginia are nonpartisan, which means party labels do not appear on the ballot for school board candidates. Virginia state law requires that school board candidates qualify for the ballot through the petition process for independent candidates. It does not allow school board candidates to qualify for the ballot as party nominees. This means that all school board candidates in Virginia are listed as independent in the secretary of state's official candidate list. On the ballot, the names of candidates are displayed without any party affiliation or additional disclosure of any kind. There is no route in state law for a school board candidate to be listed on the ballot with a party affiliation.
See law: Virginia Statutes Sections 22.1. Education and 24.1. Elections
Winning an election
School board candidates that receive the largest number of votes in the nonpartisan general election are elected to office.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 22.1. Education and Section 24.1. Elections
Term length and staggering
The length of school board member terms depends on the terms of the members of the relevant county, city, or town governing body. As of 2022, most school districts (121 or 91.7%) had 4-year school board terms. Ten school districts had 3-year board member terms.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 22.1. Education and Section 24.1. Elections
School board seat elections are either not staggered or staggered in a way that depends on the organization of the district and the relevant county, city, or town prior to the referendum establishing elected board members; special act; or local charter. State law has special provisions concerning the staggering of school board elections in Bath, Loudoun, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, and Rockbridge Counties.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 22.1. Education and Section 24.1. Elections
Representation: at large vs. by sub-district
School members are elected at large, from sub-districts, or through a combination of the two.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 22.1. Education and Section 24.1. Elections
Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates
School board candidates must file declarations of candidacy by 7:00 pm on the third Tuesday in June.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 24.1. Elections
School board candidates cannot circulate nominating petitions until after the first day of January of the year of the election.
See law: Virginia Statutes Section 24.1. Elections
Newly elected school board members officially take office on the first day of January following their election.