Apache County sets filing window for 2026 school board races

Prospective candidates for 12 Apache County school board races will have a tight summer filing window, with nomination papers due by July 6 and nonpartisan petition filing opening June 8 at 8 a.m. because June 6 falls on a Saturday.

The election notice covers governing-board seats in St. Johns USD #1, Concho ESD #6, Alpine ESD #7, Window Rock USD #8, Vernon ESD #9, Round Valley USD #10, Sanders USD #18, Ganado USD #20, McNary ESD #23, Chinle USD #24, Red Mesa USD #27 and NAVIT JTED #35. Those boards shape day-to-day decisions that reach far beyond a meeting agenda, from staffing and transportation to district budgets and school climate.

Apache County is directing candidates to the superintendent’s office in St. Johns or the county elections website to request nomination packets. The office is at P.O. Box 548, St. Johns, Arizona 85936, and the phone number is (928) 337-7539.

The filing sequence matters. Candidates must first submit a Statement of Interest before collecting petition signatures, and the statement and contact forms must be date stamped before signatures are gathered. The county says school governing-board candidates in Arizona must be registered voters, must have lived in the district for at least one year before Election Day, and cannot be district employees or spouses of district employees.

The notice also sets the campaign paperwork threshold. If a candidate’s committee raises or spends at least $1,500, a statement of organization must be filed. That requirement can catch first-time candidates off guard, especially in smaller districts where campaigns often begin quietly and with limited help.

Apache County’s school superintendent’s office describes itself as an education service agency and the fiscal agent for county school districts, which is one reason the office serves as the filing hub for these races. That role gives the superintendent’s office a central place in an election cycle that will affect communities from St. Johns and Round Valley to Chinle and Red Mesa.

The county’s 2024 school-board candidate list showed how quickly these contests can become competitive. Red Mesa USD #27 had eight candidates listed, while Concho ESD #6 had four, Ganado USD #20 had four, and St. Johns USD #1, Round Valley USD #10 and Chinle USD #24 each had multiple contenders. This year’s filing window will decide which names are added to the ballot before voters head to the polls on Nov. 3.