Parents, teachers, seniors and taxpayers. Four reasons to vote.
School board trustee races are nonpartisan, often in May, and decided by a small share of voters. Each group that shows up cares about something different. We speak to each of them.
How do you win a school board election?
School board races are nonpartisan and usually low turnout, so they are won by identifying the voters who show up for school elections, giving parents, teachers, seniors and taxpayers each a reason that applies to them, and turning out supporters. URSA builds that universe in Culper from vote history and county property data, and reaches it with digital, streaming, mail and peer-to-peer texting.
Small Electorates, Big Stakes
Texas school trustees are elected in nonpartisan races, at large or from single member districts, usually on the May or November uniform election date. A trustee helps set the district's budget, tax rate, bond proposals and leadership.
May trustee elections can draw a small fraction of registered voters. That makes the race winnable for a candidate who knows exactly who those voters are, and very hard for one who campaigns to everyone.
No party label means no shortcut. Voters decide on name, issues and trust, and different voters bring different issues.
Who Votes and What They Care About
| Voter | What moves them |
|---|---|
| Parents of current students | Classrooms, safety, communication, the carpool line and the start time. |
| Teachers and staff | Pay, support, class sizes and how the board treats them. |
| Seniors | The budget, debt and accountability. Many vote in every election. |
| Taxpayers without children in school | The tax rate, bond proposals and spending priorities. |
Illustrative. Real priorities come from each district's own conversations and data.
How We Run a Trustee Campaign
Draw the district
At large or single member, matched address by address in Culper.
Find the school election voters
Vote history for past trustee, bond and tax rate elections shows who actually votes.
Speak to each group
A short message matrix so parents, teachers, seniors and taxpayers each hear their reason.
Reach them where they are
Digital and geofencing at school events, streaming TV, mail and P2P.
Turn out supporters
Persuasion scripts that put supporters at the polls.
School District Work
Video we have produced on Texas school district bond propositions, for and against.
LCISD Bond Proposition Streaming TV Ad
Streaming TV spot for a vote for the Lamar Consolidated ISD bond propositions.
CFISD Bond Propositions, Vote No
Campaign video urging a vote against the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD propositions.
Are school board elections partisan in Texas?
No. Texas school board trustee elections are nonpartisan. Candidates appear on the ballot without a party label.
When are school board elections held?
Most Texas school districts hold trustee elections on the May or November uniform election date, depending on the district.
How many votes does it take to win a school board seat?
It depends on the district and the election date. In a May election turnout can be very low, so a seat may be decided by a few thousand votes or fewer. URSA calculates a win number from the district's own vote history.
Keep reading.
- School District Bond ElectionsURSA runs campaigns for and against Texas school district bond propositions and tax rate elections, with property tax calculators, CAD based targeting, senior tax ceiling messaging and daily early vote scrubs.
- Tax Rate Elections (VATRE)URSA runs campaigns on Texas voter approval tax rate elections for school districts, cities, counties and special districts, built on the ballot language, the real cost per property and CAD parcel data.
- Get Out the VoteURSA GOTV programs turn supporters into ballots: a chase list built in Culper, a daily early vote scrub, voting plans, rides, polling place asks and P2P persuasion scripts through Election Day.
Your victory starts here.
Tell us where you are running or what is on your ballot. We will show you who decides it, what moves them, and what it costs to reach them.
Schedule a Consultation