School board candidates must meet minimum election requirements as set by local government. For example, to be eligible to serve on a Pennsylvania school board, a candidate must be a citizen of that state, have "good moral character," be at least 18 years old and a resident of the district for at least one year. Those convicted of certain crimes are not eligible to run for the office.
School board candidates must consider what their campaign platform will be. Like candidates for other public offices, school board candidates must campaign and persuade voters to vote for them. Part of the process includes having a core campaign message. For example, a candidate's main priority may be to reduce class sizes, increase test scores or lobby state and federal government for increase funding.
Candidates for school board should consider whether they have enough "initial" community support to launch a campaign. Although any campaign is no guarantee of success, having sufficient community support for a local election greatly increases the ability of a school board candidate to win. For example, if the candidate is a former principal, that candidate likely has significant ties to the local community. Community support comes primarily in the form of volunteer work for the campaign.
Another crucial consideration is whether a school board candidate is able to raise enough money to run a successful campaign. For example, if a candidate campaigns in a large school district, the candidate may want to place ads on television. Campaign advertisements vary in price according to the local media market. Candidates often open campaign offices and always produce some campaign material to distribute. Candidates with ties to the community or a political party and those who can help fund their own campaigns are better able to fund campaign operations.