What to know about Pennsylvania school boards before the Nov. 4 election

Before you vote this fall, here’s what to know about how Pennsylvania school boards work — and why they matter.

PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Ahead of the 2025 municipal election, FOX43 breaks down what school boards are, how they operate, and how their decisions affect classrooms and communities statewide.

For more information on the Nov. 4, 2025 elections, check out FOX43’s 2025 Pa. Election Guide. You can find information on where and how to vote, learn what deadlines are upcoming and how you can make your voice heard this election season.

Why do school boards matter?

Few elected officials affect daily life in Pennsylvania communities more than local school board members. They decide how hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars are spent, set academic priorities, oversee administration and determine what children encounter in classrooms.

Yet these positions often draw little attention, especially compared to high-profile state or federal races.

Turnout in municipal election years — when school board seats appear on the ballot — can fall to a small fraction of presidential election-year levels, giving small groups of voters an outsized voice over decisions that shape schools, property taxes, and community identity.

The 2025 general election, set for Nov. 4, will once again put thousands of school board seats across Pennsylvania up for grabs. Understanding how these boards work — and why they hold so much sway — matters to anyone with a stake in public education.

Pennsylvania’s school boards are the product of a long tradition of local control in education. When the state set up its public school system in the 1800s, it intentionally kept control local.

That principle still defines how Pennsylvania’s 500 public school districts operate. Each district is governed by a board of school directors, typically composed of nine elected members.

Each board sets policy for its district —setting budgets, approving curriculum, and establishing rules that guide everything from hiring to classroom instruction.

Unlike large state or federal agencies, these boards mirror the state’s variety of communities. A rural district with a few hundred students may face vastly different issues than an urban district serving tens of thousands.

How school boards are constituted and elected

Most Pennsylvania districts have nine directors, though a handful have smaller boards due to special statutes or district consolidation. Most members serve four-year terms on staggered cycles, with roughly half of the seats up for election every two years.

Elections occur in odd-numbered years — as part of the state’s municipal election cycle. The next general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.

Candidates must be at least 18, live in the district for a year, and be registered to vote there.

They are selected in the primary on partisan ballots, but may cross-file, meaning they can appear on both Democratic and Republican tickets. That practice, unique to certain local offices in Pennsylvania, has historically resulted in general-election ballots where party affiliation plays a smaller role.

However, recent political polarization has transformed school board races — which used to be somewhat apolitical — into some of the most contentious races.

Some districts elect at-large members, meaning all voters choose from the same list of candidates. Others divide the district into regions or wards, each with its own representative.

Once elected, directors usually take office the first Monday in December following the election. Boards reorganize in December, choosing a president, vice president, and committee assignments.

A school board’s core responsibility is to govern the district, but management is left to hired administrators. School board members establish the district’s vision, goals, and policy, while the superintendent and administrators handle day-to-day operations. The distinction is critical: boards vote on budgets, contracts, and policies, but they don’t usually micromanage classrooms or personnel.

The duties of the board include:

Approving annual budgets and setting local school property tax rates.Hiring and evaluating the superintendentAdopting curriculum and instructional materials consistent with state standards.Overseeing construction and maintenance of school facilities.Establishing district policies on attendance, discipline, safety, and public participation.

Each vote the board takes is public and recorded in the school board minutes, which can usually be found on a district’s website. Decisions must align with both state and federal law, but within those parameters, local boards wield broad discretion.

Budgets, taxes, and the Act 1 index

School boards control one of local government’s most powerful tools — the ability to set property tax rates.

Since 2006, the Taxpayer Relief Act, commonly called Act 1, has limited how much districts can raise taxes without voter approval or state-granted exceptions. Each district has an annual Act 1 index — a percentage cap calculated by the state based on factors such as inflation and local income levels.

If a board wants to increase taxes beyond that cap, it must either qualify for an exception (such as rising special-education or pension costs) or place the question on the ballot for voter approval. Few districts pursue referendums, but the law effectively forces boards to justify large tax hikes to their communities.

Balancing budgets is often the most contentious part of a board’s work. State and federal funding make up significant portions of district revenue, but local property taxes often carry the greatest weight. Boards must juggle rising costs for staff, transportation, and infrastructure against residents’ expectations for quality and affordability.

Meetings, transparency, and the Sunshine Act

Transparency is central to public trust in school governance. Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act requires school boards to conduct official business in open meetings, with notice published in advance and opportunities for public comment given during the meetings.

Boards can meet privately only for limited reasons — such as personnel matters, labor negotiations, or legal consultations — but final votes occur in public.

Today, most districts livestream or post recordings of meetings, along with agendas and minutes in searchable databases. Residents are encouraged to attend, speak during comment periods, and follow how board members vote.

Boards often adhere to Robert’s Rules of Order or similar parliamentary procedures to manage debate. While practices differ by district, meetings typically include committee reports, public comments, and action items that the board votes on.

These laws give residents wide access to how school decisions are made and how public dollars are spent.

Major issues shaping school board debates

Across Pennsylvania, boards are grappling with familiar flashpoints — from curriculum debates to budget fights. While every district faces unique challenges, several topics have dominated Pennsylvania’s school board discussions in recent years:

Curriculum and classroom content: Debates over classroom content, library books, and instructional standards have intensified nationwide, including in Pennsylvania. Boards decide what curricula and materials are approved, guided by state academic standards.Taxes and district spending: With limited funding flexibility under Act 1, boards must balance rising costs with taxpayer concerns, often deciding whether to cut programs, draw from reserves, or raise taxes.School safety: From building security upgrades to mental health initiatives, safety remains a top priority. Boards adopt policies and budgets to support these programs.Diversity, Equity and inclusion: Discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives continue to draw strong opinions. Boards must navigate state and federal nondiscrimination laws while responding to community concerns regarding curriculum and access to information.Transparency and trust: Heated public meetings during and after the pandemic have pushed school board meetings to be more polarized. That’s caused growing tension over school boards’ openness, accountability, and civility — and injected partisanship in school governance.

How residents can stay engaged

For most Pennsylvanians, the school board is the most accessible level of government. Meetings are open, email addresses are public and directors are neighbors, not distant officials.

Attend meetings regularly to understand how decisions are madeReview district budgets, policies, and agendas onlineParticipate in committees or advisory councilsCommunicate directly with board members and administratorsStay informed through local news outlets and district newsletters