St. Paul voters will choose at least two and as many as three new school board members as the district faces ongoing financial challenges.
It’s the first St. Paul school board election in three years, after the district switched to even-year elections along with other city offices. That meant board members’ terms, typically four years long, were extended by one year.
The election comes just days after the board voted to approve early retirements for English language teachers as an alternative to a controversial proposal to terminate teachers midyear. That proposal came after a larger-than-expected decline in English learners. District officials said failing to act quickly would result in the budget falling below a key financial benchmark.
Each of the last three years have also involved substantial budget reductions, even as voters approved an increase in their property taxes to boost St. Paul Public Schools funding last year. And district officials say more budget cuts are likely this spring. Those decisions will be shaped by the new board members.
Seven candidates are competing for three seats, including incumbent board chair Uriah Ward and newcomers Stephanie Anderson, Teresa Glass, Tamara Mattison, Michael Schell, Omar Syed and Kris Taylor.
Polling places close at 8 p.m. Election results will be updated here approximately every 10 minutes throughout the evening.
