San Rafael families will choose who oversees curriculum, budgets, and school safety at both the elementary and high school districts this fall.
Three seats on the San Rafael City Schools Board of Education are up for election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and the window to file nomination papers opened Monday, July 13.
The five-member board governs both the San Rafael Elementary School District and the San Rafael High School District, which includes San Rafael High School and Terra Linda High School. It serves approximately 7,000 students in grades TK-12, according to district enrollment figures.
Who's up
The open seats cover Trustee Areas 2, 4, and 5. Winners in Areas 2 and 4 will serve four-year terms through November 2030. The Area 5 winner gets a shorter, two-year partial term through November 2028.
The incumbents whose terms expire are Dr. Wing Keung Jason Lau (Area 2), board president Carolina Martín (Area 4), and Kennedy Rodas-Dias (Area 5). Rodas-Dias, a lifelong San Rafael resident, San Rafael City Schools graduate, and civil rights paralegal, pulled his nomination papers on Tuesday, July 14, according to the City Clerk's online filing records. No other candidates had pulled papers as of that date.
How to run
Prospective candidates must first complete an application online at cityofsanrafael.org/candidate-application. After submitting, the City Clerk's Office will contact them to schedule an appointment to pick up nomination papers. The office is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The filing deadline is Friday, August 7. If an incumbent does not file by that date, the window extends to Wednesday, August 12, giving additional candidates time to submit papers.
To qualify, candidates must be at least 18, a California citizen, a registered voter, and a resident of the specific trustee area they seek to represent. Board members are unpaid, according to the district's board governance page.
What comes next
The San Rafael City Council formally called the election at its Monday, June 1 meeting, with City Clerk Lindsay Lara preparing the resolution. Election services will be handled by the Marin County Elections Department. Polls on November 3 will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For questions about the filing process, contact the City Clerk's Office at 415-485-3066. The next San Rafael City Schools Board of Education meeting is a workshop on August 7, followed by a regular meeting on August 11.
