Ascension Parish voters select 11 school board members parish-wide every four years to represent and manage the public school system.
This election cycle will be the first time in the history of the Ascension Parish School Board that its members will be impacted by term limits.
Five current board members are subject to the limits this year, and therefore, they cannot seek re-election in the November 2, 2026 Open Primary School Board election.
How are school board districts drawn?
All 11 members run in a district that is defined by approximately one-eleventh of the parish’s voting population. Those district lines are subject to be redrawn every ten years, following updated results of the US Census. Eligible candidates must live (legally declared homestead) within the boundary of the district where they qualify to run.
The local school board districts include four districts that have “A” and “B” seat-designated members. In each of these districts (4,5,6, and 7), both the A and the B seat-designated members represent the full district. Those four districts have approximately double the population of the single seat districts (1,2, and 3), to account for having two representatives in each. Candidates wishing to seek election in the larger districts MUST designate which seat they want to represent.
While school board members may “represent” certain schools in their district, those district boundaries do NOT align with school attendance zones. Attendance zones are based on student populations and transportation needs; whereas elected school board districts are based on the population of citizens in the parish and those lines do not consider school zones, transportation routes or local taxing districts.
Why have term limits now?
The Louisiana Legislature in 2012 passed a measure requiring voters in each parish to vote on whether to limit their school board members to a three-term limit. Ascension Parish voters passed the measure, thereby restricting members to serving three consecutive terms, starting the count from January 1, 2014.
Five current board members are subject to the limits this year, and they cannot seek re-election in the November 3, 2026 Open Primary school board elections. See the map above to identify the “term-limited” districts.
Contact the Registrar of Voters to review your voter registration card to determine your school board district. Take time to learn about the responsibilities and expectations of school board members. Visit AscensionSchools.org to view School Board Member zone maps, learn more about Ascension Public Schools, and how you can engage in our success!
