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About this race
The school board is responsible for setting the school district budget, adopting district policies and hiring and overseeing the superintendent.
Current school board members up for election this year are Nicole Desjarlait, Christopher Jourdain, Tina Stately and Thomas Barrett. Desjarlait, Jourdain and Stately are running for reelection.
The top eight candidates in the Aug. 11 primary will advance to the November ballot.
Click the tabs below to learn more about the candidates
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 43
Community: Red Lake
Employment: Endazhi-Nitawaaging Charter School
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
My experience as an educator has provided me with a strong foundation for serving on the school board. I have worked at Endazhi-Nitaawiging Charter School as an elementary school teacher,teaching students general education while also integrating Indigenous language, culture, and traditions into learning.
Why are you running?
I have worked with students across multiple grade levels and I care deeply about the future of our students, families, and our community.
Why should voters choose you to advance to the general election?
I am one who works along side others to make sure that our students come first. My main goal while teaching these past few years was to make sure all students are reaching their full potential. I love empowering students to do their very best, I truly love our community.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
the role of school board members is to provide leadership, accountability, and oversee the school.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Peggy Flanagan, We love her in Native Country! She is our Voice at a higher level.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
With over three years of experience in education, I have seen firsthand the challenges many of our students face, including poor attendance, displacement from their families, and difficult life circumstances. These are real challenges that impact our students ability to learn and succeed.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it if elected?
I believe one of the biggest challenges in our district is our schools having the support, resources and staffing needed to meet our students needs. I have seen firsthand the impact that staff shortages, attendances challenges, and limited resources have on both educators and students. I plan on listening to teachers, staff, students and their families and advocating for ways to strengthen systems in our schools.
What is one success in the district that you would offer support for as a board member?
One success I would bring to the school board is my experience working in a school environment that successfully strengthened cultural identity, Seven Grandfather Teachings, and language revitalization. Being a teacher for the past three years, I have learned how important it is to put myself in spaces where I can continue to grow, learn, and advocate for our community of children. One day they will be sitting in these very seats and I want to help prepare them, Miigwech.
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent: Yes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent: Yes
Age on Election Day: 51
Community: Little Rock
Employment: Red Lake Comprehensive Health Services, School Wellness Counselor
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
Serving on the board the past 4 years has helped me learn how to be an effective member, and implement some of my goals which included Ojibwe Language and Culture, along with renewable energy efforts. I also like to stay in communication with the staff and and students to make sure they are taken care of and feel valued.
Why are you running?
To help improve our education system and help make an impact in the future of our community.
Why should voters choose you to advance to the general election?
I believe I have the skills, vision, experience and knowledge to continue to be an effective board member.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
Learning and implementing policies, making sure they are followed in school operations.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I admire leaders who can connect with people, and get them to buy into a vision and work together to make it a reality.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
Further support the Ojibwe Language and Culture department, support the staff and encourage the students to improve the graduation rate.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it if elected?
The graduation and attendance rates, I hope to be able to encourage and motivate students to learn the importance of their education.
What is one success in the district that you would offer support for as a board member?
The fact that we have local control over our education system is powerful for us.
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 67
Community: Little Rock, Red Lake Mn.
Employment: Retired Ojibwe culturist teacher
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
I have been in education for the past 32 years, until May 2026, I was an Ojibwe culturist. My experiences/education include Ojibwe language and culture teacher in Red lake and Bemidji middle school, home/school advocate, parent committee member, mentor, reading tutor and attended National Indian Education Association and Minnesota Indian Education Association for several years. I have received my Ojibwe eminence license and psychology degree.
Why are you running?
I am running for School Board because education matters. Every student who walks through our doors should feel welcomed, valued, and have a sense of belonging.
Our students deserve a safe, healthy learning environment where their well-being and educational goals are supported. Our teachers and staff also deserve the resources and training they need to do their best work - building relationships, empowering students, and honoring the unique identities of every child.
This year, 41 students graduated - the largest graduating class since 2017. that is something our community can be proud of, and I want to see that success continue to grow. Every student should have the opportunity to experience the pride and accomplishment of reaching graduation.
It takes a village to raise our future generations. Through our language, culture, traditions, families and schools, we can help every student succeed.
Miigwech
Why should voters choose you to advance to the general election?
I believe voters should choose me because I bring 32 years of experience in education and a genuine commitment to our students and families. I believe every student deserves a quality education and the support they need to reach their educational goals.
Strong schools are built on teamwork. That means open communication between our schools and families from Early Childhood through 12th grade, working together to help every student succeed.
As your school board member, I will be approachable, supportive and ready to listen. I value your ideas, your concerns and your voice, and I will always do my best to represent our community with honesty and respect.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
The Officers approve minutes of the board meetings, they set policies, they listen to financial reports and program budgets, they vote on hiring and non-renewal of superintendent contracts and make decisions that also reflect the interest of the community members. This is only a few example of the roles and responsibilities of the board.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Dr. Anton "Waagosh" Treuer because of his efforts to revitalize the Ojibwe language, spirituality and culture. He is a great roll model for a whole generation of young Anishinaabeg. He is known for the many books that he has written on native culture and language and has presented at conferences and gatherings throughout the United States on this topic.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
My priorities are the students and being available to families and my goal is to have more contact with students and families. Another priority is to continue the rise in graduation rates, my goal is looking at and maintain what has been successful and work on what needs to be improved. Another priority are the many students who have left our district, I would like to identify who they are, gather data with the ultimate goal of retaining them back to our district.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it if elected?
The biggest challenge to me is community and school communication. How this can be addressed is by a greater response time of communication between parents and school staff, having school/community gatherings and possible student lead activities.
What is one success in the district that you would offer support for as a board member?
One success has been implementing Ojibwe language and culture into the classrooms, and throughout the building and I will continue to support and advocate for this success.
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 42
Community: Red Lake
Employment: I work for Red Lake Comprehensive Health Services as a school based Wellness Counselor. I am also a Mental Health Practitioner on the Crisis Response team
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
I have worked with the youth on the Red Lake Nation for almost two decades, in varying roles with in my community. I have been a school based Wellness Counselor at the Secondary Complex for over 10 years. I am passionate about supporting and advocating for our students. I work closely with school staff and have the unique opportunity to understand the policy and practices of the school District. I have always valued education, I was valedictorian of my graduating class from Red Lake High School. I went on to get my Associates of Arts degree and have completed additional college classes towards finishing my degree. I also have my Community Health Worker certificate. I am able to organize public events.
Why are you running?
I would like to serve my community further by being a school board member. I would like to be a voice for our youth, families and community members. I am strongly invested in my communities wellbeing and this extends to the school that educates them. I would like to share my idea's and knowledge to help guide the school districts educational policies. I want to represent my tribal community and support the school to reflect and honor our traditional values.
Why should voters choose you to advance to the general election?
I would proudly represent our tribe and make sure our voices are heard. I am a very open minded person and am always listening to learn. I am non-bias and I work well with others. I am a good listener, a strong advocate and I am not afraid to speak up on issues. I am able to make tough decisions. I and my family are passionate about being involved with my community.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
As a school board member our role is to ensure school policy serves the students and community.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I admire Deb Haaland because she achieved many goals because of her hard work and dedication.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
The graduation rate is low, I would like to understand why and help students over come barriers they may face to preventing them from being successful students and into adulthood. I would like to see the practices of the school come from a trauma informed lens to create a safe, caring and supportive environment. I want to see support and prioritization of student wellbeing with more drug and suicide prevention within the school district.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it if elected?
I would like to see our graduation rate increase. Our students face many challenges. I believe improving the environment with in the school so students feel understood, valued and truly supported will increase the number of students who make it to graduation. I would like to connect students and families to resources in the community and help them achieve educational goals.
What is one success in the district that you would offer support for as a board member?
It was wonderful to see the large graduating class this year. I believe a wonderful strength of the school currently is the access students have to mental health supports. Red Lake Comprehensive Health has grown their school based wellness counseling supports services. This is unique for students to have a large number of counselors and quick access to support. I would also like to see more of our children go to college and increased encouragement for continuing their education reflected in the school. I would like to see how the school board can help motivate students further their education after graduation.
Incumbent: Yes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Still have questions for the candidates? Contact information for all those who've filed to run for office can be found at candidates.sos.state.mn.us.
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Lorie Shaull/KAXEExtreme fire conditions caused some of the 17 wildfires burning in the Superior National Forest to rapidly spread July 13-14, 2026. -
Contributed/Lorie ShaullMonths before the midterms, the Trump administration dismantled a bipartisan federal commission that serves local offices that oversee voting. -
Lorie Shaull/Special to KAXEThe library matched the anonymous matching donation for $30,000 it received in June 2026. A larger fundraising goal is aimed at increasing public hours in 2027. -
Contributed/University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering CenterDue to smoke from Boundary Waters wildfires, the MPCA issued air quality alerts for large parts of Minnesota. The alert lasts until at least Friday, July 16, 2026.
