School Board Elections: Resources

A significant change has occurred regarding the effective date of 2023 Wisconsin Act 126. As originally enacted into law, 2023 Act 126 required local candidate committees and other committees that register with a local filing officer to begin registering and filing their campaign finance reports with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. This change from local filing to centralized filing with the Commission was previously scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2025.

On June 9, 2025, Governor Evers signed 2025 Wisconsin Act 7. This new Act amends the effective date of 2023 Act 126. The provisions of 2023 Act 126 related to registration and reporting now take effect on December 1, 2027. As a result of 2025 Act 7, local candidates and other committees that have been registering their committees and filing reports with school board clerks will continue to do so until December 1, 2027.

For all “committees” currently registered with the school district clerk under the campaign finance laws that are not exempt from filing campaign finance reports (including all non-exempt “candidate committees”), the most immediate impact of Act 7 is that the July 2025 “continuing report” must be timely filed with the school district clerk or the clerk’s designee at the local (school district) filing office. The July continuing report covers the reporting period ending June 30, 2025, and it must be filed by no later than July 15, 2025. School district clerks are strongly encouraged to clarify the filing procedure with all affected committees.

To view 2025 Wisconsin Act 7, please click here.

1. Sample Form for Giving Notification of Refusal to Accept Board Member Salary (a sample from WASB’s Policy Resource Guide) (member log in required)
2. Sample Communications from School Districts to Municipal Clerks Regarding the Status of Write-In Candidates (member log in required)
3. Samples Documents for School District Board of Canvassers (Appointment Notices, Appointment Acceptance/Declination Form, Oath of Office, Open Meetings Law Notice) (member log in required)
4. Sample Notices of Incumbent Noncandidacy Decisions under Section 120.06(6)(b)3m of the Wisconsin Statutes (member log in required)

The information presented in these documents are a product of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, Inc. These documents are intended to provide general information, with commentary, as a service to WASB members. The materials and information provided in these document are not intended as, and should not be relied upon, as legal advice. If needed, legal advice regarding any topic, issue, district-specific situation or incident should be obtained from the school district’s designated legal counsel.