What this office does: School boards are elected local governing bodies for school districts. They are elected to 4-year terms. They hire and evaluate superintendents, adopt policy, curriculum and the budget, and make major decisions about facilities and local school governance.
Why it matters: School boards influence what kind of district a community has: how it is governed, what it prioritizes, and how it responds to parents, staff, and students. For voters who care about schools but not necessarily statewide education politics, this is often the most direct impact.