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School Governance

The office of Governance leverages expertise in school governance to design and deliver professional development programs that enhance the leadership skills of school district leaders, including first year superintendents, school board members, and school administration. The office works to provide expert advisory support on governance issues, fostering collabarative relationships with stakeholders, and overseeing initiatives aimed at improving governance practices. It also develops resources and analyzes data to inform program development and policy decisions. Through its efforts, the office ensures that school governance is effective, innovative, and aligned with best practices.

Local School Boards of Education

Public schools in Oklahoma are governed by a local board of education and are elected by the public. School Board Members are required by Oklahoma law to have education in specific areas.  

In Single Sign-On, with your Superintendent credentials, you can easily look at your school board member training points and eligibilty.  For assistance with this feature or any questions pertaining to your board member points, please contact Scot Trower at 405-522-0225.

In order to be elected to a school board, candidates must meet qualifications established by Oklahoma statutes. In addition to meeting established qualifications, a board member must comply with the Oklahoma nepotism laws.

Elections

1. File for Office: First Monday through Wednesday, December

2. Elections: Second Tuesday, February

3. Runoff Elections: First Tuesday, April

Qualifications

To file for the position of locally elected school board member, an individual must meet the following requirements:

  1. The individual must have been a registered voter with the county election board at an address located within the geographical boundaries of the district for six months preceding the first day of the filing period.  (26 O.S. 13A-106)
  2. The individual must have resided within the local school district for at least six months preceding the first day of the filing period.  (26 O.S. 13A-106)
  3. In school districts that are divided into election districts, a candidate must have resided in the district for at least six months preceding the first day of the filing period and have been a registered voter registered with the county election board at an address located within the geographical boundaries of the election district for six months preceding the first day of the filing period.  (26 O.S. 13A-106)
  4. The individual cannot have been convicted of, or have plead guilty or no contest to, a felony under state or federal law or a misdemeanor involving embezzlement. Any person having a record of any of these crimes is ineligible to file for the school board position during the pending of any appeal or for a period of 15 years following completion of sentence.  (26 O.S. 5-105a)
  5. The individual must have been awarded a high school diploma or certificate of high school equivalency in order to be a candidate for or elected to serve on a board of education.  (26 O.S. 13A-106)
  6. An incumbent school board member must have completed continuing education prior to the date set for filing for reelection to the same board seat.
  • Nine hours for board members serving 3-year terms;
  • Twelve hours for board members serving 4-year terms; and
  • Fifteen hours for board members serving 5-year or 7-year terms.
  1. Failure by the board member to have satisfied the continuing education requirements shall result in the ineligibility of the member to run for reelection  (70 O.S. 5-110.1)
  2. The individual must not be related within the second degree by blood or marriage to a current school district employee or current member of the board of education of the district for which the candidate is seeking office. (It is also illegal to hire a relative within the second degree.) See Nepotism Chart (70 O.S. 5-113)

Training

School Board Members (70 O.S. 5-110)

Contacts

School Governance 

2500 North Lincoln Boulevard,
Suite 210
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Ruth Godbout, Director                                                                          Ruth.Godbout@sde.ok.gov                                                                                                                                    

Scot Trower, School Board Governance Specialist                                                        Scot.Trower@sde.ok.gov

Courtney Anderson, Superintendent Governance Specialist                                        Courtney.Anderson@sde.ok.gov

Phone: (405) 521-3335
Fax: (405) 522-1519

Last Modified on Apr 15, 2025