8 school districts to watch as Minnesotans go to the polls Nov. 5

More than 300 Minnesota school districts have open board seats to fill on Nov. 5. While this year’s competition isn’t as intense as in recent years, many districts have multiple candidates on their ballots. Behind those candidates are organizations spending time and money on training and endorsements.

The Minnesota Parents Alliance, a conservative organization launched in 2022, has endorsed nearly 130 candidates in 56 Minnesota districts in its voter guide. Teacher unions have backed nearly 100 candidates in 33 districts. The School Board Integrity Project, a progressive organization launched last year, has endorsed 45 candidates in 27 districts.

Last year school board elections attracted candidate competition in the double digits, and campaign donations in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the end, voters chose to back mostly union-endorsed candidates.

This year, Parents Alliance-endorsed and union-endorsed candidates are facing off in nearly 30 head-to-head races.

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There are also dozens of districts asking voters to approve levies.

Twenty-eight districts want to move forward with operating levies to pay for day-to-day costs like staff salaries, school supplies, utilities and curriculums. Another 26 districts are asking voters to approve bond or capital project levies to help districts with building and construction projects.

Here are eight districts MPR News is watching closely this election cycle.

1) Prior Lake-Savage

In 2022, the open seats on this suburban district’s school board were hotly contested by opposing slates of candidates who staked out sides in a tug of war that involved organized parent groups, teacher unions, networks of political donors and families worried school equity efforts were in jeopardy.

This year there are six candidates running for three open seats. The candidates — just one of whom is seeking reelection — are divided into those backed by the local teacher union versus those who’ve received endorsements from the Minnesota Parents Alliance.

A local parents group that was active in the last cycle has sunk at least $1,800 in the election. That’s a fraction of the more than $12,000 in donations that group received last year and may be an indication of lowered overall spending.

It may also be too soon to tell as final campaign finance reports are not due until after the election. The candidates themselves have reported less than $10,000 in spending all together.

2) Brainerd

In Brainerd, there are seven candidates running for three seats. Only one of those candidates has not secured endorsements from either the Minnesota Parents Alliance or the local teacher union. All union-endorsed candidates are incumbents.

In the 2022 election cycle, Brainerd saw a frenzy of school board campaign spending with candidates racking up nearly $80,000 in disbursements on advertising, mailers and signs. This year, the spending has come way down and is now closer to $11,000.

The three election winners will oversee a district serving at least 6,000 students in north-central Minnesota.

3) Fergus Falls

Nine candidates are running to fill three seats in this west-central Minnesota district where nearly 3,000 students attend school. Six candidates have endorsements from either the Minnesota Parents Alliance or the local teachers’ union, which has spent about $2,500 in yard signs and other campaign costs. Only one of the endorsed candidates is running for reelection.

4) Lakeville

In Lakeville, there are nine candidates running to fill three seats. Whoever wins would sit on a board overseeing district-level decisions for more than 12,000 students in this Twin Cities outer ring suburb.

Campaign finance reports from August and September show close to $20,000 spent on the board elections, mostly from the teachers union. There are six endorsed candidates backed by either the union or the Minnesota Parents Alliance, none of whom are incumbents.

5) Osseo

In the Twin Cities suburban district of Osseo, there are six candidates running to fill three open board seats. None of the candidates are incumbents. They have raised at least $9,000 between them for websites, business cards, flyers, T-shirts, signs and other campaign spending.

This district’s current board has been the site of clashes over policies regarding gender inclusion, instruction and LGBTQ+ pride flags. The three members who win seats will oversee a district that serves more than 20,000 students.

6) St. Francis

In St. Francis, in the northern Twin Cities exurbs, there are 10 candidates running for four open school board seats. The Minnesota Parents Alliance and local teacher union have each endorsed four candidates, none of whom is an incumbent. Whoever wins their races will join a board overseeing more than 4,000 students.

7) Minneapolis

The Minneapolis school district, which is facing a serious budget crisis, is asking voters to approve a $20 million technology levy. District officials say voter approval would mean school leaders would be able to minimize cuts to other areas of the budget.

Regardless of the outcome, Minneapolis is still likely to close schools.

8) Northfield

South of the Twin Cities, the Northfield school district is asking voters to approve more than $121 million in funding for a new gymnasium, a 120,000 square foot classroom addition and the installation of a new geothermal heating and cooling system.