Facts about the Texas SBOE

The board’s 15 members are elected from separate districts.

  1. Unlike local school board members, these are political party nominees.
  2. The districts are huge, over 1.3 million people each from the 2000 census.  There  are 31 state senators, 32 members of Congress, and 150 state representatives here in Texas, but only 15 on the SBOE.
  3. The districts are redrawn every 10 years, after each U. S. census.

Terms and Elections

  1. The members generally serve 4-year terms, which are staggered, so 8 will be elected one year, and 7 two years later.
  2. Exceptions to staggered 4-year terms operate in years ending in “0” and “2”.  In years ending in “0”, members are elected to 2-year terms. In years ending in “2”, all members run.  Drawing straws provides 8 with 4-year terms, and seven with 2-year terms.
  3. Running for the SBOE requires filings with the Texas Ethics Commission and with the Secretary of State.  Check with these offices before doing anything else.
  4. Filing is required in early December of the odd-number year before election.

Meetings

Meetings are for 2-3 business days, about 6-7 times a year.  These are usually Wednesday through Friday, or Thursday and Friday.  Almost all meetings are in Austin, at the TEA building, about 3 blocks north of our state Capitol.

Compensation

  1. Members serve without pay
  2. They are provided with hotels, meals, and transportation when they meet.

Powers

  1. Constitutionally, the SBOE is charged with management of the Permanent School Fund.  Most of the money for this fund is to buy textbooks for K-12.  Our legislature and Congress provide other money for public schools.  Most of the money for Texas public schools comes from local property taxes.
  2. By law, the SBOE determines Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for each subject and each grade level, K-12.  These TEKS define what teachers are to teach, and what students are to learn.  These result in standards for textbooks, for teacher training, and for student testing.

Compiled by John Keohane
keohane@prodigy.net
April 30, 2009

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