KAXE contacted each candidate at least twice to invite them to participate in our Election Guide, using contact information submitted to the Secretary of State's Office.
Candidate responses have not been edited and are published exactly as submitted, including typos and formatting.
As necessary, our news team added contextual information clearly marked with an "editor's note" and in italics. We will make every effort to make note of inaccuracies if they come to our attention.
Please contact our news team at news@kaxe.org with questions or comments or to report any errors.
KAXE's Election Guide includes contested races in communities with at least 100 people. Visit our full list of who's running for office in Northern Minnesota to see who else will be on the ballot in November.
About this race
The school board is responsible for setting the school district budget, adopting district policies and hiring and overseeing the superintendent.
Becky Bennett, Sara A. Nagel and Sarah Smith are the current school board members whose seats are up for election. Nagel and Smith are running for reelection. Bennett is not.
The top three candidates will begin their four-year terms in January.
Click the tabs below to learn more about the candidates
Age on Election Day: 28
Community: Pillager,MN
Employment: Hardy's Lake in the Woods (Co-Owner) Mount Ski Gull (Programs Director)
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
As a local small business owner, non-profit leader, ski and track coach, and future district parent, I bring a distinctive combination of financial accountability, youth mentorship, and board experience to Pillager Public Schools. I am committed to supporting our teachers, managing taxpayer dollars responsibly, and expanding opportunities for every student.
Why are you running?
Working with Pillager student-athletes and a local non-profit shows me our youth’s potential every day. As a third-generation graduate, I recognize the need for my generation to step-up in local leadership. I am driven to build a strong school district that I look forward to sending my own children to.
Why should voters elect you?
Having built a business from scratch, worked in the non-profit sector, and mentored children of all ages, I’ve directly interpreted Minnesota statutes, managed real balance sheets, and addressed family-based conflicts. I offer a rare combination of youth mentorship, business grit, next-generation leadership, and child development knowledge.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
To be a part of a shared idea of the direction we want Pillager Public Schools to move. To set guidelines that best serve our students. Help grow our educators' careers to better educate our students. Take a well-thought-out approach to expansion without a huge tax shock to the community.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Teddy Roosevelt was a future-looking president. He protected land for future generations by creating our national parks. He also played a key role in regulating big corporations to allow small businesses to compete.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
We must invest in our teachers' continuing education to improve staff retention and expand in-school college credits, helping students find their niche. Additionally, just because learning can be online doesn't mean it should. I am committed to protecting hands-on learning and limiting tech distractions. Finally, as our growing district faces upcoming changes, we need a slow, deliberate, and fiscally responsible expansion plan that protects local property owners from sudden tax shocks.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it if elected?
The issue facing our school district is growing enrollment. We must grow at a responsible rate, both fiscally and by prioritizing small class sizes. We can resolve this issue with responsible accounting, grants/funding, and putting needs in front of wants.
What is one success in the district that you would offer support for as a board member?
Being able to add classrooms at a responsible rate, cash flowing through existing taxes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent
Age on Election Day: (Field left blank)
Community: Pillager
Employment: Pillsbury Forest Hardwoods as a bookkeeper.
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
I have been on the Pillager School Board for 16 years and continue to take classes to keep my board skills current.
Why are you running?
I believe every child deserves someone to be in their corner and make sure they get the best education possible. I would like to continue trying to be that person in the board room.
Why should voters elect you?
I have voiced my concerns about our kids reading curriculum for years. I did not believe it was giving kids the education they deserved. I am proud to say Pillager was ahead of the state curve on implementing a new curriculum in our school. I am proud to say I had a hand in that. I think voters should elect me to continue to speak up and give our kids the best.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
Overseeing and guiding the school district.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Honestly this is a hard question for me…
I am going to have to say Dolly Parton. She took steps to solve a reading problem where she grew up and turned it into a program that helped millions without bringing politics into it.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
My priorities if I am re elected are to continue to see our reading scores go up. After that we will see solid gains in math, science and other classes because if you can read well you can do well in other subjects. I would also like to make sure we have things in place at school to make sure kids are ready for their next step after high school, whether that is going into the workforce, trade school, college or the military.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it if elected?
I believe our biggest challenge facing the district will be our budget. As the cost of living continues to rise, that means the cost of educating our kids also continues to rise. Our community, including me, does not want to see higher taxes. So that means the school board has to be very careful about being financially responsible, so our kids can get the best education while still keeping our budget balanced.
What is one success in the district that you would offer support for as a board member?
One success we have had in our district is our reading scores going up. I love to see that and will continue to offer my support to seeing that continue.
Incumbent
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.
-
Essentia Health announces merger; Detroit Lake school board introduces 'viewpoint neutrality' policyPlus: Lost hunters rescued near Hibbing. -
Contributed/Bob Dunlap via iNaturalistDuring the Phenology Report for the week of Sept. 29, 2026, Staff Phenologist John Latimer remarks on overwintering butterflies, changing colors, and hummingbirds. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEThe Detroit Lakes School Board rescinded its July 2026 action that prompted an ACLU lawsuit as it prepares to amend its policy on non-school materials. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEThe healthcare companies announced the merger on Sept. 29, 2026. The combined company would include 22 hospitals and over 135 clinics in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
