School Board Member Qualifications

A candidate for an Illinois school board must be at least 18 years old, must have lived in the school district for at least one year, and must be a registered voter.

To become a school board candidate one must do the following:

  1. File a Statement of Economic Interests with the county clerk and obtain a receipt. (Statement forms are available from the county clerk.)
  2. File the following: A nominating petition signed by at least 50 registered voters or 10 percent of the voters, whichever is less; a Statement of Candidacy; a county clerk's receipt for the Statement of Economic Interests. (Petitions and Statements of Candidacy typically are available from the board secretary.) These must be filed no earlier than 78 days before the election and no later than 71 days before the election during normal office hours.
  3. If a candidate receives or expends $3,000 or more in an election campaign, reports must be filed with the county clerk. (Forms and instructions are available from the board secretary.