"Serving as a member of the school board is the purest and highest form of public service." - Will Davis, former Texas State Board of Education member

Local School Boards are charged with providing vision, direction and resources in an effort to support the community's educational needs.  Service on the local board is one that requires a strong commitment to excellence and the achievement of educational goals. 

Among several duties, the Board of Trustees is charged with establishing the policies by which schools operate by identifying needs and establishing priorities for the school system, the allocation of financial and human resources and evaluation of school performance. 

To file for office in a single member district, each candidate must reside within the boundaries designated as that school board district, and only residents of that district elect the person who will represent them on the school board. In other districts, candidates must live within the boundaries of that school district and are elected by all voters in that school district.

To be a candidate for a local school you must also be all of the following:

1. A U.S. citizen
2. 18 years or older at the start date of the term of service
3. A resident of the district for six months before the filing deadline
4. A resident of the state for 12 months before the filing deadline (or 12 months before the day of the election, in the case of a write-in candidate)

For those persons interested in serving on the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees, the filing period for candidates is underway and will close March 12. Trustees for District 4, currently represented by Nancy Bingham; District 5, currently represented by Lew Blackburn, Ph.D.; and District 7, currently represented by Jerome Garza, will be elected on May 12.