* At-large elections: Candidates run for a seat on the board representing the entire district. This can lead to a situation where the board doesn't reflect the diversity of the district's population.
* By-district elections: The district is divided into smaller geographic areas (wards or subdistricts), and voters in each area elect a representative to the board. This is intended to ensure better representation of different communities within the district.
* Hybrid systems: Some districts use a combination of at-large and by-district elections. For example, some board members might be elected at-large, while others represent specific districts.
* Appointments: In some cases, school board members are appointed by other elected officials (such as city councils or county commissioners), rather than directly elected by voters. This is less common than direct elections.
* Nonpartisan elections: Most school board elections are nonpartisan, meaning candidates don't run under a party affiliation (like Democrat or Republican). However, some states or districts may allow partisan elections.
In summary, to find out how a *specific* school board is elected, you'd need to check the website of that school district or your local county government's election information. The details vary considerably.