Editor’s Note: Due to discrepancies in reporting, this article is being updated and clarified from the general election article posted yesterday. NWCT apologies for the errors and any confusion caused.
The 2022 election features the most crowded fields in recent school board memory in both ISD 728 – Elk River schools (impacting Otsego, Albertville, Rogers and St. Michael areas) and, of course, STMA School District (ISD 885)
Here’s a look:
STMA School Board race Featured Six Candidates for Three Seats
Tim Lewis and Carol Steffens are the incumbents here, with newcomers Peter Lemke, Elyse Shorez, Travis Weber and Tyler Stone joining the race.
Steffens is an STMA School Board institution, serving the community for more than a decade. She has seen the District grow, massively, since first being elected in 2004, when major changes were happening at the elementary level.
For Lewis, it’s a chance at his second term. Lewis, the spouse of a longtime STMA teacher, establishes himself as a “values-based” candidate and has written and commented about the 2021 and, now, the 2022 local levy referendum questions, which will also be on the ballot this November. Lewis hasn’t necessarily been in favor of raising the levy – stating he is against “overtaxation” and was against the 2017 Bond referendum, but has explained the Board’s stance well via his Facebook page.
Weber is a Rogers native (Hassan Township) and the son of a St. Michael native. After moving to Albertville in 2009, Weber was key to starting the robotics program in STMA. He also works as a software engineer. His platform can be found here.
Stone, a resident of St. Michael, lives along Main Street, according to his affidavit for candidacy. His platform can be found on his Facebook page, here.
Shorez also has her platform laid out on a Facebook page, here. She is a veteran of the STMA Legislative Action Team and a mother of three. She’s laying out many issues via a Q and A feature on her Facebook feed.
Lewis, Shorez and Weber have been endorsed by the STMA chapter of Education Minnesota, which represents local teachers.
Lemke is endorsed by the Minnesota Parents Alliance, a group that is challenging current boards and school administrations across the state for “fiscal responsibility” and “transparency,” according to their website. Lemke also has his platform on social media’s Facebook.
Nine Candidates, Including Six for Two Seats, Take Aim at ISD 728 Board
The 2022 election season will be a historic one for the ISD 728 School Board, as four seats will be up for election in the general election this year.
A seat in each of Election Districts 1 and 2 will be up for election Tuesday, Nov. 8, as well as two at-large seats. All four board positions are four-year terms.
Election District 1 consists of Elk River (Wards 1, 2 and 3) and Zimmerman; the townships of Baldwin, Big Lake, Livonia and Orrock in Sherburne County; the cities of Nowthen and St. Francis in Anoka County; and Stanford Township in Isanti County, within the district. A candidate for the District 1 seat must reside within the district.
Candidates for District 1 are Shane Steinbrecher, current Board member, and challenger Mindy Frienberg.
Election District 2 lies in the southern half of the school district. The area includes City of Elk River Ward 4 (Sherburne County), City of Ramsey (Anoka County), portions of the cities of Albertville, Otsego, St. Michael and Dayton (Wright County) within the district and the cities of Rogers and Dayton (Hennepin County) within the district borders. Candidates for this seat again must reside within these borders to represent District 2 on the school board.
Incumbent Sara Weis is the lone candidate for this seat.
The remaining two “at-large” seats are open to any resident within the ISD 728 boundaries. All seats must meet the criteria below.
Six candidates have filed for “at large” positions. Incumbent Kim Michels is looking for another term. Jamie Plantenberg-Selbitschka, a former board member, has also filed. Other candidates are Crissy Uttech, John R. Anderson, J. Brian Calva and Sarah Hamlin.
A candidate for school board office must:
- be an eligible voter.
- be 21 years of age or more on assuming office.
- have been a resident of the school district from which the candidate seeks election for thirty (30) days before the general election.
- have no other affidavit on file for any other office at the ensuing general election.