West Virginia school board elections, 2026

Elections

State profile

Additional elections

No West Virginia school districts that overlap with the nation's 100 largest cities or that are among the nation's 200 largest school districts and for which Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage are holding school board elections in 2026.

Election rules

View election rules

Election dates and frequency

See also: Rules governing school board election dates and timing

School board general elections in West Virginia are held on the date of the statewide primary election on the second Tuesday in May every two years in even-numbered years.

See law: West Virginia Code Section 3-5-6, Section 3-5-1, and Section 18-5-1b

Recent or upcoming election dates for all public school districts in the state

Below are the recent/upcoming dates for all public school districts in the state. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.

• Filing deadline date: January 31, 2026
• General election date: May 12, 2026

Election system

School board members in West Virginia are elected through nonpartisan general elections without primaries.

See law: West Virginia Code Section 3-5-6 and Section 3-5-1

Party labels on the ballot

See also: Rules governing party labels in school board elections

School board elections in West Virginia are nonpartisan, which means party labels do not appear on the ballot for school board candidates. West Virginia Code says that school board members must be "nominated and elected by the voters of the respective county without reference to political party affiliation."

See law: West Virginia Code Section 18-5-1

Winning an election

In West Virginia, the school board candidate that receives the most votes is elected to office provided the requirement that "no more than two school board members can be elected from the same county magisterial district" is met.

See law: West Virginia Code Section 3-5-6, Section 3-5-1, and Section 18-5-1b

Term length and staggering

School board members in West Virginia have four-year regular terms.

See law: West Virginia Code Section 3-5-6

West Virginia Code does not require specific election staggering for school board members. In most districts, however, as close to half of board seats as possible are up for regular election every two years.

See law: West Virginia Code Section 3-5-6, Section 3-5-1, and Section 18-5-1b

Representation: at large vs. by sub-district

West Virginia Code does not say whether school board members must be elected at-large or by sub-district. It does state that no more than two school board members can be elected from the same county magisterial district. Each county is divided into at least three and no more than 10 magisterial sub-districts. As of 2023, six school districts in West Virginia elected board members by sub-district and the other districts elected board members at large.

See law: West Virginia Code Section 18-5-1

Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates

The deadline in West Virginia for school board candidates to file certificates of announcement declaring candidacy is on the last Saturday in January in the same year as the election (even-numbered years). The filing must be received or postmarked before midnight on the day of the deadline. Certificates of announcement must be sword statements before public notaries and must contain the election date, the office sought, the legal name and ballot name of the candidate, the candidate's residential address, and a good faith statement.

See law: West Virginia Code Section 3-5-7

School board candidates in West Virginia can begin filing certificates of announcement when the filing window opens on the second Monday in January in the same years as the election (even-numbered years).

See law: West Virginia Code Section 3-5-7

Newly elected school board members in West Virginia officially take office on July 1 following their election.

See law: West Virginia Code Section 3-5-6 and Section 3-5-1

Recalls

See also: Recall campaigns in West Virginia and School board recalls

West Virginia does not allow for the recall of school board members. Click here for a list of states that do.

State profile

Demographic data for West Virginia
	West Virginia	U.S.
Total population:	1,841,053	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	24,038	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	93.6%	73.6%
Black/African American:	3.3%	12.6%
Asian:	0.7%	5.1%
Native American:	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	1.4%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	85%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	19.2%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$41,751	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	22.2%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in West Virginia. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in West Virginia

West Virginia voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

More West Virginia coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in West Virginia
• United States congressional delegations from West Virginia
• Public policy in West Virginia
• Endorsers in West Virginia
• West Virginia fact checks
• More...

See also: West Virginia elections, 2026

What's on your ballot?

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See also

West Virginia	School Boards	News and Analysis
Public education in West Virginia List of school districts in West Virginia School board elections in West Virginia School board authority in West Virginia	School board elections, 2026 School board elections, 2025 West Virginia school board elections, 2025	Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey School board election data analysis, 2025

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