Nine candidates have filed to run for three Red Wing School Board seats.
Filing for spots on the ballot closed on Tuesday.
Two of the three incumbents, Jim Bryant and Holly Tauer, have filed for re-election bids.
The third incumbent, Arlen Diercks, announced at a recent board meeting that he will not be running for re-election.
“It has nothing to do with what has been going on in the last two years,” Diercks said. “I was blessed with eight years, and it’s been so rewarding to me to give back to the school that has given so much to me.”
In addition to Bryant and Tauer, others filing for candidacy are:
Terese “Mrs. B” Bjornstad.
Benjamin Winter.
Rachel Marshall Schoenfelder.
Kristen Titus.
Heather Rudawski.
Jason Ramstad.
Kayla Anderson.
The School Board election will be Tuesday, Nov. 8. Terms begin in January.
Also on the November ballot will be two questions asking voters to extend levies to supplement state school funding.
The district is asking voters for $1,650 per pupil to extend the expiring tax levy. Unlike the previous referendum that was divided into two parts there is a single question on the ballot.
Passage of a single question will give the Red Wing Public Schools the most flexibility in addressing issues in the rapidly changing educational landscape.
In contrast, dividing the $1,650 per pupil funding into two or three questions for specific purposes would lock in monies to certain projects and areas that might become obsolete or fall lower on the priority list over time.
If passed, the district can expect to accumulate $4.48 million per year from taxpayers to help grow and maintain its programming.
At the school board meeting Monday, district communications manager Anne Robertson said presentations on the referendum have been set up for four groups in town. She said eight more groups have contacted the district asking for presentations.
Board member Arlen Diercks asked district officials to verify that talking points on the referendum meet the guidelines for the district to present facts on the referendum without campaigning for its passage.
“Are we going over a line if a board member goes out and says this?” he asked about a draft of talking points presented to the board.
Robertson said she would state with the state school board association to verify that the talking points meet legal requirements.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Thank you for taking part in our commenting section. We want this platform to be a safe and inclusive community where you can freely share ideas and opinions. Comments that are racist, hateful, sexist or attack others won’t be allowed. Just keep it clean. Do these things or you could be banned:
• Don’t name-call and attack other commenters. If you’d be in hot water for saying it in public, then don’t say it here.
• Don’t spam us.
• Don’t attack our journalists.
Let’s make this a platform that is educational, enjoyable and insightful.
Email questions to jjohnson@orourkemediagroup.com.