Political recalls
Upcoming recalls
Recalls by office
Recalls by state
Recalls by year
Recall laws
Recall analysis

School board recalls are the process of removing a member or members of a school board from office through a petitioned election, instead of during a regularly scheduled election. Between 2009 and 2023, Ballotpedia tracked an average of 35 recall efforts against an average of 81 school board members each year. A total of 19.28% of the school board members included in the efforts faced recall elections, and 10.21% of school board members were removed from office.

Bad behavior, mismanagement of funds, conflicts with district administrators or teachers, refusing to listen to their constituents, and violating open meetings laws are some of the reasons listed on petitions seeking to recall school board members. In response to recall efforts, school board members often argue that without access to information communicated during closed meetings, recall supporters cannot fully understand the details of certain situations or decisions. School board members have also called recall efforts political retaliation and have said that though they listen to their constituents' concerns, they must make their decisions based on what is best for the entire student body.

On this page, you can find information on:

• How recalls work
• An overview of recall efforts since 2006
• Details on recall efforts by year

Twenty-three states allow for the recall of school board members. Click here for more information on the laws governing the recall process for school boards in each state.

How do recalls work?

The laws governing school board recalls differ from state to state. Typically, petitioners must deliver documents to the city or county election office and sometimes to the members they are seeking to recall as well. These documents usually include the reasons petitioners believe the official is unfit for office and initial signatures from supporters of a recall election. If a petition is approved, recall supporters must gather a set number of signatures from district residents to force the petition to a vote. Minimum signature amounts are usually calculated based on the number of votes cast in the district for a specific office or the number of registered voters during a previous election. These signatures are submitted to election officials, who must verify that petitioners reached the minimum number of signatures required by state law. State law also regulates the number of days between approval of recall petitions and recall election dates.^[1]

In nearly all states that allow local recalls, the final decision of whether or not to keep an official in office is put to the voters at the ballot box. Virginia, however, sends recall efforts to the circuit court. Though recall efforts are started in a similar way in that state, with the collection of signatures on petitions, a recall election is never held. Instead, the recall is decided by trial.^[2]

Regulations

Some states require sufficient reason to hold a recall election, which can include abuse of power, malfeasance, or failure to perform prescribed duties. Other states do not require any grounds for recall.^[1]

Some states also place time limits on the recall petitioning process and the timing of school board recalls. Petitioners may be limited to a certain number of days between submission of recall language and delivery of signed petitions necessary to force an election. There are also limitations regarding the timing of a recall election especially if there is a primary or general election in the near future. Some states do not allow recall efforts to start until an officeholder has served a specific amount of time, and others do not allow recall efforts to start near the end of an officeholder's term.^[1]

Recall efforts

School board recalls are tracked once recall paperwork is pulled. Ballotpedia covers recalls in school districts of all enrollment sizes as long as information is available.

The chart below details how many recall efforts were tracked each year. The 2024 numbers were current as of May 20, 2024.

Note: If a recall effort spanned multiple years, it was counted each year.

The table below gives a breakdown of how many officials were targeted and ultimately recalled and includes the recall success rate for each year, which was calculated by dividing the number of recalled officials by the total number of officials who were targeted for recall.

Recall efforts by year

Click on the tabs below to see school board recall specifics for the corresponding year.

2024

Ballotpedia has tracked 27 school board recall efforts against 55 board members in 2024. Recall elections against six of those board members are scheduled to be held on June 4, 2024, July 2, 2024, and November 5, 2024. Earlier recall elections in 2024 removed four members from office and retained five members in office.

The map below details how many recall efforts are being covered in each state in 2024. Ballotpedia has not tracked any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2023

Ballotpedia tracked 48 school board recall efforts against 97 board members in 2023. Sixteen of those board members faced recall elections. The recall elections were held on January 10, 2023, August 1, 2023, August 8, 2023, August 29, 2023, November 7, 2023, and December 12, 2023. The school board recall success rate was 13.4%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2023. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2022

Ballotpedia tracked 54 school board recall efforts against 123 board members in 2022. Recall elections against school board members were held on January 11, 2022, January 18, 2022, January 24, 2022, February 15, 2022, March 29, 2022, April 4, 2022, and November 8, 2022. The school board recall success rate was 7.3%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2022. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2021

Ballotpedia tracked 92 school board recall efforts against 237 board members in 2021. Recall elections against 17 board members were held in 2021. The school board recall success rate was 0.42%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2021. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2020

Ballotpedia tracked 29 school board recall efforts against 64 board members in 2020. Four recall elections were held in 2020. The school board recall success rate was 7.8%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2020. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2019

Ballotpedia tracked 20 school board recall efforts against 47 board members in 2019. Three recall elections were held in 2019. The school board recall success rate was 6.4%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2019. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2018

A total of 33 school board recall efforts nationwide were covered by Ballotpedia in 2018. They included 74 board members. Twelve recall elections were held in 2018. The school board recall success rate was 29.7%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2018. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2017

A total of 18 school board recalls were covered by Ballotpedia in 2017. They included 45 board members. Five recall efforts against six members made it to the ballot. The school board recall success rate in 2017 was 6.7%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2017. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2016

A total of 33 school board recalls were covered by Ballotpedia in 2016. They included 78 board members. A total of 11 recall efforts against 19 members made it to the ballot. The school board recall success rate in 2016 was 17.9%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2016. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2015

A total of 35 school board recalls were covered by Ballotpedia in 2015. These recall efforts included 77 board members. Ten recall efforts against 21 board members reached the ballot that year. The school board recall success rate in 2015 was 22.1%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2015. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2014

A total of 29 school board recalls were covered by Ballotpedia in 2014. These recall efforts included 58 board members. Seven recall efforts against 10 board members reached the ballot. The school board recall success rate in 2014 was 10.3%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2014. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2013

A total of 21 school board recalls were covered by Ballotpedia in 2013. These recall efforts included 56 board members. Five recall efforts against nine board members reached the ballot. The school board recall success rate in 2013 was 10.7%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2013. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2012

A total of 31 school board recalls were covered by Ballotpedia in 2012. These recall efforts included 65 board members. Six recall efforts against seven board members reached the ballot. The school board recall success rate in 2012 was 7.7%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2012. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2011

A total of 20 school board recalls were covered by Ballotpedia in 2011. These recall efforts included 48 board members. Five recall efforts against 12 board members reached the ballot. The school board recall success rate in 2011 was 16.7%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2011. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2010

A total of 38 school board recalls were covered by Ballotpedia in 2010. These recall efforts included 91 board members. Fourteen recall efforts against 36 board members reached the ballot. The school board recall success rate in 2010 was 27.5%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2010. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2009

A total of 20 school board recalls were covered by Ballotpedia in 2009. These recall efforts included 54 board members. Ten recall efforts against 27 board members reached the ballot. The school board recall success rate in 2009 was 22.2%.

The map below details how many recall efforts were covered in each state in 2009. Ballotpedia did not track any school board recall efforts in the states depicted in gray.

List of recall efforts

2008

A total of four school board recalls were covered by Ballotpedia in 2008. These recall efforts included five board members. One recall effort against two board members reached the ballot. The school board recall success rate of recalls covered by Ballotpedia in 2008 was 40%.

List of recall efforts

2007

A total of three school board recalls were covered by Ballotpedia in 2007. These recall efforts included three board members. All three recalls reached the ballot. The school board recall success rate of recalls covered by Ballotpedia in 2007 was 100 percent.

List of recall efforts

2006

A total of two school board recalls were covered by Ballotpedia in 2006. These recall efforts included five board members. Both recalls reached the ballot. The school board recall success rate of recalls covered by Ballotpedia in 2006 was 100%.

List of recall efforts

See also

• Recall
• Laws governing recall
• Political recall efforts by office
• Political recall efforts by state
• Political recall efforts by year
• Upcoming recall elections

Footnotes