Albuquerque Public Schools
Candidate Information
Learn how to become a school board member candidate and the associated requirements.
File a Declaration of Candidacy
Submit a Declaration of Candidacy with the County Clerk on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Instructions to File
- File in-person at the Bernalillo County Alvarado Square Commission Chambers, 415 Silver Ave. SW, 1st floor, from the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- The County Clerk's Office will not accept candidate filing forms early or late.
Contact for Questions
For more information, contact the County Clerk's Bureau of Elections Administrator:
Phone: (505) 243-8683
Email: clerk@bernco.gov
Student Outcomes Focused Governance Resources
- APS Goals and Guardrails
- Urban Educator - AJ Crabill to School Boards: Put the Focus on Student Success
- Why School Systems & School Boards Exist
Board Member Candidate Requirements
The next election for APS school board members in districts 3, 5, 6, and 7 will be in 2025. Anyone filing as a candidate for a school board member position must meet the following criteria and commitments.
Legal Qualifications
- Be a registered voter.
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Not be a convicted felon.
- An employee of Albuquerque Public Schools who has filed as a candidate for a school board member position and is elected to that position must resign as an employee to serve on the Board (see New Mexico State Statute 22-5-5).
- Physical Residence Requirements:
- Physically reside in the school board district for which the individual is a candidate at the time the APS Board of Education votes on the proclamation acknowledging the upcoming election.
- Check with APS Board Services at (505) 880-3729 or boarded@aps.edu to find out the exact date when the proclamation will be scheduled on an APS Board of Education agenda.
Commitments
In addition to the legal qualifications for school board member candidates, elected members of the APS Board of Education must commit to:
- Completion of an APS Questionnaire (to be sent after Candidacy Declaration)
- Two regular board meetings per month
- Special board meetings when called (usually two per month)
- Additional meetings, such as executive meetings, briefings, and others, as needed
- Regularly scheduled board committee meetings per month: Policy, Finance, and Audit
- Professional training, including onboarding, conferences, and regional meetings
- Other considerations, as circumstances warrant
- Per diem for regular, special, and committee meetings; possible mileage if meetings are held 35 miles from APS Headquarters (NM State Statute 10-8-4: Per Diem and Mileage)
- No other APS compensation
For more information, services, and resources, please visit the NMSBA (New Mexico School Boards Association) site.
Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements
Pursuant to Article 22A (School District Campaign Reporting Act) of New Mexico Election Law, all candidates are required to create an online campaign reporting login for the New Mexico Campaign Finance System. For more information, please contact the New Mexico Secretary of State's Elections Bureau and Ethics Division.
New Mexico Secretary of State/Elections Bureau and Ethics Division
New Mexico Capitol Annex North
325 Don Gaspar, Suite 300, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: (505) 827-3600
Toll-Free: 1-800-477-3632
Email: sos.elections@state.nm.us
Read the Rules
Information and Related Statutes
- APS Board of Education Governance Manual
- New Mexico State Statute: Local School Boards Compensation and Prohibited Employment
- Legal Status and Responsibilities of the Board of Education
- New Mexico School Boards Association School Board Member Handbook
- National School Boards Association Why We Do What We Do video
- New Mexico State Statute: Local School Boards
Campaigning Policy
APS has specific rules about campaigning on or near school property: