Election dates and frequency
- See also: Rules governing school board election dates and timing
School board nonpartisan primary elections in Ohio are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in May every two years in odd-numbered years in districts that opt to hold primary elections. Only some school districts hold primary elections, while most do not.
School board general elections in Ohio are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in odd-numbered years every two years.
See law:
Ohio Statute Section 3501.01 and Ohio Statue Section 3501.01
Recent or upcoming election dates for all public school districts with elected board members in the state
Below are the recent/upcoming dates for all public school districts with elected board members in the state. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.
- Primary election date: May 6, 2025
- General election date: November 4, 2025
Election system
School board members in Ohio are elected through nonpartisan general elections. School boards can adopt resolutions to hold nonpartisan primary elections. Only some school districts hold primary elections, while many do not.
As of 2022, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District was the only district classified as a municipal school district in Ohio. Its nine school board members are appointed by the mayor. School districts are classified as municipal school districts if they have been subject to "a federal court order requiring supervision and operational, fiscal, and personnel management of the district by the state superintendent of public instruction." State law requires a nine-member school board appointed by the mayor to control a municipal school district for four years after the district is released from the court order. After four years, a referendum is held for voters to decide whether to continue with an appointed board or to move to an elected board. In 2002, Cleveland voters approved a referendum to keep their school board appointed.
See law: Ohio Statue Section 3513.256 and Ohio Statute SectionSection 3311.71
Party labels on the ballot
- See also: Rules governing party labels in school board elections
School board elections in Ohio are nonpartisan, which means party labels do not appear on the ballot for school board candidates. Ohio Statute states, "The name of each candidate for member of a city, local, or exempted village board of education shall appear on the nonpartisan ballot." Statute governing the nonpartisan ballot lists the offices that must be included and states, "No name or designation of any political party nor any words, designations, or emblems descriptive of a candidate or the candidate's political affiliation, or indicative of the method by which such candidate was nominated or certified, shall be printed under or after any nonpartisan candidate's name which is printed on the ballot."
See law: Ohio Statue Section 3513.254and Section3505.04
Winning an election
If a school district holds primaries, the candidates with the most votes advance to the general election. Candidates equaling twice the number of open seats on the board advance to the general election. The primary election is canceled unless more than twice as many candidates file as there are open seats on the board. School boards can adopt a resolution by a three-fifths vote to establish nonpartisan primary elections for board members.
The candidates with the most votes in the general election are elected to office.
See law: Ohio Statue Section 3513.256 and Ohio Statue Section 3313.02
Term length and staggering
School board members have four-year terms.
See law: State Statute Section 3313.09
School districts elect as close as to half of their school board members as possible at one general election, and the other half at a general election two years later. Most school districts have five or seven school board members, so two members (or four on a seven-member board) are elected at one general election, and three members are elected at a general election two years later.
See law: Ohio Statue Section 3313.08
Representation: at large vs. by sub-district
School districts must elect all of their school board members at large from the whole district or, depending on the classification of the district, they can elect board members through a combination of some members elected at large and some members elected by sub-district. As of 2022, all public school districts elected their members at large only.
Schools classified as City School Districts can elect their school board members either at large or through a combination of members elected at large and members elected from sub-districts. As of 2022, all City School Districts elected their school board members at large only.
School districts classified as Local and Exempted Village Districts must elect all of their school board members at large from the whole district.
See law:
Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates
School board candidates in districts that have opted to hold a primary election must file by 4:00 pm on the ninetieth day before the primary election. Most school districts do not hold a primary
School board candidates in districts that have not opted to hold a primary election must file by 4:00 pm on the ninetieth day before the general election.
See law: State Statute Section 3513.256 and State Statute Section 3513.256
Newly elected school board members officially take office on the first day of January following their election.
See law: State Statute Section 3313.09
