ST. PAUL — Many Northern Minnesota school boards could soon be a little smaller.
A new bill in the state Legislature would allow districts with fewer than a thousand students to switch to a five-member board, with voter approval.
Roughly 70% of rural Northern Minnesota school districts would be eligible for the reduction, according to 2025 enrollment data.
Under state law, school boards must have six members, unless voters approve adding a seventh.
“This structure does not reflect the realities facing Minnesota’s smallest districts, particularly in rural areas where they may not have enough candidates to fill all six seats," said bill author Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown.
Hauschild presented the bill to the Senate Education Policy Committee on Monday, March 13. It was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus package of legislation.
"I meet regularly with colleagues that serve rural districts with less than 1,000 students, and it is not uncommon for these small districts to struggle to fill board members' seats with committed and dedicated individuals," Cook County Superintendent Chris Lindholm told the committee, testifying in support.
Many school board races in small districts are uncontested, and sometimes no one runs at all. When that happens, the school board has to appoint someone to fill the vacancy.
Lindholm told the committee that's how his district's current chairman joined the board.
“And then [he] ran for reelection and is still there," he said.
Cook County is the only district in the state with five board members, under special law. The district has around 450 students.
"Knowing that there are well over 70 districts smaller than Cook County Schools, I see no reason not to give them this opportunity to right-size their school board structure," Lindholm said.
The bill would give districts that switch to five-member boards the option to ask voters to switch back to a six-member board.
Laura Oksnevad testified on behalf of the Minnesota School Board Association. She told the committee the bill gives districts flexibility while leaving the decision up to the voters.
"School boards represent the closest form of democratic governance in Minnesota," she said. "Providing small districts with a voter-approved option to adjust board size recognizes the reality that these communities face while preserving transparency, accountability and local decision-making."
