You can text parents and supporters in a school board race when they have agreed to it in writing: on a sign-up sheet or form that says plainly they agree to receive campaign texts, with the date recorded. You cannot text people because their number is in a school directory, a class list, a PTA roster or a team contact sheet, and you cannot text people just because they signed your nominating petition. Consent must always come first, and it must come from your own sign-ups.
There is a second requirement that catches school board candidates off guard. Political texting from a registered business number requires Campaign Verify, the service the phone carriers (such as AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile) use to confirm that a political sender is a real campaign or committee. Campaign Verify requires a campaign committee with an EIN (the federal tax ID number the IRS issues) and a published filing. A candidate with no committee is not eligible. This guide covers both: how to build a list of parents and neighbors who want to hear from you, and how to get set up to send. For the rest of the race, from petitions to forums, see the school board campaign guide. School board races run on the April 6 track in our guide to running for local office in Illinois, which covers signatures, filing and committees.
Why school lists are off limits
If you are a parent, a PTA volunteer, a coach or a former board member, you may already have hundreds of family phone numbers. You may not use any of them for a campaign.
- School and PTA directories, class lists and room-parent lists. Families gave those numbers so the school community could reach them about school matters.
- Team and activity rosters. Families shared these numbers for the same reason, so the team or activity could reach them.
- District email lists and anything a staff member or board member can pull from district systems. Never ask for them, and never accept them if offered.
- Group chats you belong to as a parent. A number in a group chat is not a sign-up for your campaign.
Using those lists risks more than complaints. In a school board race, your reputation with parents matters more than almost anything else. A single text that makes a family ask "how did they get my number?" can spread through a school community faster than any message you send on purpose.
Why a petition signature is not consent either
Your petition shows the county clerk that enough voters want you on the ballot. It says nothing about texting. A petition sheet or sign-in sheet counts as consent to receive texts only if the sheet says so plainly and the date is recorded, and you should not add anything to the official petition form. Never load your petition sheets into a texting tool. For the full reasoning, read can you text the people who signed your nominating petition?
Step 1: Settle the committee question early
Campaign Verify is required for political texting on 10DLC, toll-free and short code numbers by candidates and committees registered with an election authority. A 10DLC number is a standard local phone number registered with the carriers for business or campaign texting, and a short code is a five- or six-digit number used by some high-volume senders. Campaign Verify needs:
- a campaign committee registered with an election authority, with a published filing;
- an EIN for the committee;
- $95 per two-year cycle.
Many school board campaigns stay small, and a candidate with no committee cannot be verified. In Illinois, a committee is generally required once you raise or spend more than $5,000 in a 12-month period, counting your own money and in-kind help, and the D-1 goes to ISBE. You may register a committee before reaching $5,000, but once registered it must file every required report until it files a final report. That is a significant commitment for a small race, so weigh it carefully. If texting is central to your plan, form the committee early. If it is not, put your effort into doors and events, and do not send large numbers of texts to voters from a personal phone, which skips the registration the carriers require.
If you do verify, timing matters. Requests made before November 15, 2026 expire January 31, 2027. Requests made on or after November 15, 2026 last to January 31, 2029, which covers the entire April 6, 2027 race. School board candidates file between November 16 and 23, 2026, so a request in mid-to-late November lines up well. The PIN goes only to contact details on your filing: by email or text it arrives quickly, and by mail it takes 5 to 10 business days. Our post on Campaign Verify for local candidates has the details.
Step 2: Write your consent line
Every place you collect numbers should carry the same plain wording. For a sign-up sheet:
By writing my cell number below, I agree to receive campaign text messages from Friends of Dana Ortiz. Msg and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out.
Give the sheet columns for the printed name, address or street, cell number, a box to check or initial for texts, and the date. If you have a campaign website, put the same sentence on the sign-up form and keep the date each person submitted it.
Keep every paper sheet in a folder. It is your record of how and when each person said yes.
Step 3: Collect sign-ups where parents and neighbors already talk to you
- At the door. After a good conversation, ask: "Would you like a text when early voting opens? If so, add your cell here."
- At candidate forums. Ask the organizer whether you may have a sign-up sheet on a table.
- At coffees and house gatherings hosted by supporters.
- From your own volunteers, who are the people most likely to say yes.
Do not press anyone who declines. A shorter list of people who chose to hear from you is worth far more than a long list of people who may report your texts as spam. Also remember the people without children in the schools. Retirees and longtime residents vote in April too, and many of them will be glad to sign up.
Step 4: Set up your texting
Register and send through CampaignCNX+. Open your account and choose your number when your committee is ready. CampaignCNX+ files your carrier registration for you, on 10DLC or toll-free, and guides you through Campaign Verify so the details match your filing. Carrier registration is the approval the phone companies require before they deliver campaign texts. Add only the supporters with a complete, dated consent line. Tag each one by where they signed up (door, forum, house gathering), keep the sign-up date in a custom field, and put them in a supporters group, since messages are sent to groups. Write your messages, use quiet-hours scheduling so nothing arrives late at night or early in the morning, and send. Replies come into a two-way inbox, and STOP replies are handled automatically, so anyone who opts out is not texted again. If a volunteer is helping you answer replies, you can add them as a team member with their own role, and you both answer from the same shared inbox.
New accounts include 100 free SMS (standard text messages) to start. Your number is $5 a month, and no messages go out until the number is bought. After that, pay as you go is $0.06 per SMS, or Basic is $55 a month with 1,000 SMS. Through January 31, 2027, Illinois campaigns can get 1,000 free texts with a month of Pro, plus white-glove setup, in which we walk you through Campaign Verify and registration, for $149 (normally $299). Details are on our Illinois political texting page.
Step 5: Send a short series of messages
People who signed up for a school board candidate's texts want a handful of useful messages rather than daily updates. Five or six texts across the race are enough. Every message below is under 160 characters, and the first one includes how to opt out.
Welcome (soon after sign-up):
Hi, it's Dana Ortiz, running for school board. Thanks for signing up when I stopped by. I'll text a few key dates. Reply STOP to opt out.
Welcome, forum version:
Hi, it's Dana Ortiz, school board candidate. Thanks for signing up at the forum. I'll text a few dates before April 6. Reply STOP to opt out.
Volunteer ask (to supporters who offered help):
Could you spare 2 hours on Sat, March 27 to knock doors with me? Reply YES and I'll send details. Thank you. -Dana
Early voting opens (February 25, or March 12 where a February primary ran):
Early voting for the April 6 school board election is open. Your county clerk's website lists sites and hours. Thanks for your support. -Dana
Election Day eve (Monday, April 5):
Tomorrow, Tues April 6, is Election Day. Your polling place is on your county clerk's website. Thank you for being with me. -Dana
After the election:
Thank you for your support in this race. It meant a lot to meet so many of you. -Dana
Confirm early voting dates for your area with your county clerk before you schedule that message.
Step 6: Answer replies like a neighbor
You will receive replies, such as questions about your position on a building project, a parent who wants to talk about special education services, or someone who simply says "good luck." Answer them personally and briefly, the way you would at the door. If a question deserves a longer conversation, offer one. Treat your campaign texts as a way to stay in touch with people who have already met you, rather than as one-way announcements.
What a race like this might cost to text
As an example only: a campaign with 250 opted-in supporters that sends five messages across the race sends 1,250 SMS. The first 100 are free. At pay-as-you-go rates of $0.06, the remaining 1,150 come to $69, plus $5 a month for the number while you use it, and $95 for Campaign Verify for the cycle. Your list and message count will differ, but you can use the same method to estimate your cost.
Summary of the main points
- Text only people who agreed in writing, on a sheet or form that says so plainly, with the date recorded.
- Never use school directories, class lists, PTA rosters, team rosters or district lists.
- A petition signature is not consent.
- Campaign Verify needs a committee with an EIN and a published filing; decide early whether that fits your race.
- Send a few useful messages, include "Reply STOP to opt out" in the first one, and answer replies personally.
Get set up before the busiest part of the race
Open your account now, collect sign-ups the right way, and be ready to send your welcome message as soon as your registration is approved. Start your CampaignCNX+ account.