Write-in votes will likely elect school board members: School board filings
Write-in candidates may be filling a number of area school board seats next year.
A number of school districts in the area have more open school board seats than they have candidates. Ballots for the Nov. 2 general election are set, now that filing has closed for school district and city offices.
In races without enough candidates to fill all seats, write-in votes will determine who wins the open seats.
The Montevideo School Board has three seats open, but only two candidates filed. Superintendent Luther Heller said he wasn't sure how much interest the remaining seat would attract.
"I don't know if having one seat with no declared candidate will generate the organization of any write-in campaigns," he wrote in an email.
In Benson two incumbents filed to run for three open positions. An incumbent on the board since 2000 opted not to file for re-election.
"It is pure speculation on my part, but I think that people know that being a school board member is a difficult job and a lot of the decisions that have to be made are unpopular, especially when it comes to budget reductions," Superintendent Lee Westrum wrote in an email to the Tribune. "And we all know the school funding situation is not going to get better any time soon."
In Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, Superintendent Sherri Broderius said she has wondered why just one person filed to run for four open seats, even though more inquired about the positions.
"Being a board member is a big responsibility," she wrote, and it requires hours of preparation for meetings, committee meetings and training on legal and ethical matters.
"Elected school board members and school board candidates are to be commended for their willingness to serve their communities and stick their necks out on tough decisions," Westrum concluded in his email.
Area filings were taken from the Minnesota secretary of state's website, which lists candidate filings as they are turned in across the state.
Atwater-Cosmos-Gove City
Four seats open
Megan Morrison, Atwater
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa
Four seats open
Ginny Borgerding, Brooten
Paul Gregory, Belgrade
Brian Knight, Brooten
Scott Voss, Belgrade
Sue Woolcott, Belgrade
Special election for one seat
No candidates filed
Benson
Three seats open
Stan Claussen, Montevideo
Shelly Vergin, Benson
BOLD
Three seats open
Russ Lesniak, Olivia
Dawson-Boyd
Four seats open
Andrew Greiner, Dawson
Dave C. Hickey, Dawson
Ann Jenson, Dawson
Dan Lee, Dawson
Shane Myers, Dawson
Dean Solem, Dawson
Jon Wager, Dawson
Hancock
Three seats open
Joel Flaten, Hancock
Rodney Peterson, Hancock
Tim Schaefer, Hancock
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg
Three seats open
Philip Hauge, Sunburg
Warren Johnson, Pennock
Pam Mansfield, Kerkhoven
Charlotte Rosemeier, Murdock
Thomas J. Walsh, DeGraff
Harmon R. Wilts, Kerkhoven
Lac qui Parle Valley
District 1, one seat
Scott Conn, Appleton
Randy Henneberg, Appleton
District 2, one seat
Brian Tebben, Madison
District 4, one seat
Terry Halvorson, Madison
District 5, one seat
No candidates filed
New London-Spicer
Four seats open
Holli Cogelow Ruter, Spicer
Dan DeGeest, New London
Helena Lungstrom, Spicer
Robert C. Moller, Spicer
Todd Neumann, New London
Minnewaska
Three seats open
Bruce Anderson, Glenwood
Chad M. Christianson, Glenwood
Montevideo
Three seats open
Andrew Stenson, Montevideo
Steven Kubista, Montevideo
Paynesville
Four seats open
Mark Dingmann, Paynesville
Debra Glenz, Paynesville
David Johnson, Paynesville
Lew W. Storkamp, Paynesville
Renville County West
Three seats open
Darin Bratsch, Danube
Eric Dahlager, Sacred Heart
Willmar
Three seats open
Brian F. Bollig, Willmar
Dan Croonquist, Kandiyohi
Bill Fenske, Willmar
Jill J. H. Gould, Willmar
Linda Mathiasen, Willmar
Shawn Mueske, Willmar
Nathan R. Streed, Willmar
Don Thorpe, Kandiyohi
Yellow Medicine East
Three seats open
Dawn Odegard, Clarkfield
Special election for one seat
Grant Velde, Granite Falls
