School Boards Matter
2026 School Board Election - Seats and Incumbents
CLICK HERE to complete a short form to initiate a discussion with us. To find out if you reside in an area where a seat will be contested, see link at bottom of page.
All 32 seats currently up for election in 2026 are listed below. Seats marked with a * represent seats vacated during the term and the elected candidate will serve out the remainder of the term. We will continue updating these lists as more information becomes available. You can also check here. If you see any information that needs to be updated, please contact us.
Four Priorities for School Boards
- Improve student academic achievement. This is the main purpose of education. The equity gap between high and low performers can be narrowed with the proper policies. Every school board meeting in every district should include an agenda item that gets behind the numbers, especially math and reading skills.
- Create safe, positive learning environments for students and teachers. Common-sense approaches are required to teach disrespectful, disruptive students the proper behavior, but this is also a parent problem. Students can’t learn because teachers can’t teach in a chaotic classroom.
- Stronger engagement, involvement, and transparency with parents is vital to academic success. One effective way to do this is a policy to require parents to opt in of every survey and health services provided.
- Complete fiscal transparency and re-allocation of funds from bureaucracy to student-focused outcomes. The way school budgets are tracked need drastic reform so the community understands it better.
Visit the C4DS You Tube channel to learn more about these issues
Get ready to run for a 2026 school board seat
The more time you give yourself before you have to file to run, the more you can set yourself for success – and we can guide you along the way.
First, you have to determine if you reside in the area where the nominating district seat is located.
There are two types of seats:
At Large seats: Anyone residing in the school district can run.
Nominating District seats: You must reside within the borders of a defined geographic area.
DON’T KNOW WHICH DISTRICT YOU RESIDE IN?
It’s easy. This link will take you to a page where you can enter your address and scroll down to see the name of your school district, nominating district and the name of the current incumbent.
Complete a short form to chat with us about how you can make a difference.
Candidate survey questions
Why are you running for school board?
How will you use your experiences and background to approach your role as a member of the school board?
Name 1 or 2 policies you will support that will raise the academic achievement of all students.
What changes should be made at schools to make the classroom a safer and more effective environment for maximizing learning and instruction?
MORE QUESTIONS TO COME
Let us know if you have a question you think all candidates should answer about how they will govern.
Your New 2025 School Board Members
REMINDER:
C4DS does not endorse or oppose any candidate running for school board. We simply provide their views in their own words from various sources to make it easier for you to make an informed vote.
New Castle County
APPOQUINIMINK
At-Large – Tim Higgins
COLONIAL (NO ELECTIONS)
District B – Christine L. Smith (ACLU)*
District C (2-year term) – Phils M. Breeding (ACLU)*
District D – Christopher Piecuch Sr.
SMYRNA
At-Large – Aaron Weisenberger
Kent County
CAPITAL
At-Large ( 3-yr term) – Vickie Pendleton (ACLU)*
At-Large (4-year term) – Donna Johnson Geist
MILFORD
At-Large – Yanelle Powell (NO ELECTION)
Sussex County
CAPE HENLOPEN
District B – Jason Bradley
District C – Patty Maull
At-Large – William (Bill) Collick (ACLU)*
DELMAR
At-Large – Raymond Vincent
INDIAN RIVER
District 1
Lisa Hudson Briggs, Kelly Kline
District 4 – Michelle Parsons
LAUREL
At-Large – Raymond Vincent
At-Large – Jeffrey Benson Jr.
WOODBRIDGE
At-Large – Timothy Banks (ACLU)*
2026 Hot Issues to Watch
Significant state and local tax funding efforts
The recent property school tax reassessment and seven school districts taking an additional increase, Delaware’s government is not done yet. Voters need to stay on top of developments of two initiatives driving toward a dramatic increase in education funding for low-income, special education (students with disabilities), and English and Second Language students. The latter two groups are growing fast as a percentage of the student population.
Keep an eye on the Redding Consortium district consolidation in New Castle County and the state-wide funding reform proposal fromThe Public Education Funding Commission (PEFC). Both these groups will be driving toward legislation to be enacted in June 2026. This will make it more essential to elect school board members who are good stewards of taxpayer dollars.
The composition of school boards in your community
Changes to drive academic improvement won’t happen without Board leadership. School boards are typically dominated by other educators and teacher union representatives, who generally don’t have experience in running accountable, results-oriented organizations like those in business. The question is how to get more balance from diverse backgrounds that is required for an independent citizens oversight board that represents the values of the broader community. When few only 5-10% of Delaware voters turn out, the established interests will always win.