Cook County School District, Minnesota, elections

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Cook County School District
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District details
School board members: 5
Students: 457 (2023-2024)
Schools: 4 (2023-2024)
Website: Link

Cook County School District is a school district in Minnesota (Cook County). During the 2024 school year, 457 students attended one of the district's four schools.

This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.

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Elections School board Location Budget Academic performance Students Staff Schools

Elections

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Cook County Independent School District 166 school board, District 2

General election

General election for Cook County Independent School District 166 school board, District 2

Carrie Jansen ran in the general election for Cook County Independent School District 166 school board, District 2 on November 5, 2024.

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Carrie Jansen (Nonpartisan)

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Cook County Independent School District 166 school board, District 1

General election

General election for Cook County Independent School District 166 school board, District 1

Theresa Donovan and Erik Redix ran in the general election for Cook County Independent School District 166 school board, District 1 on November 8, 2022.

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Theresa Donovan (Nonpartisan)
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Erik Redix (Nonpartisan)

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Cook County Independent School District 166 school board, District 3

General election

General election for Cook County Independent School District 166 school board, District 3

Kim Nelson and Rena Rogers ran in the general election for Cook County Independent School District 166 school board, District 3 on November 8, 2022.

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Kim Nelson (Nonpartisan)
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Rena Rogers (Nonpartisan)

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Cook County Independent School District 166 school board, District 5

General election

General election for Cook County Independent School District 166 school board, District 5

Rae M. Piepho and Dan Shirley ran in the general election for Cook County Independent School District 166 school board, District 5 on November 8, 2022.

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Rae M. Piepho (Nonpartisan)
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Dan Shirley (Nonpartisan)

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Election rules

 

Election dates and frequency

School board general elections for all districts in Minnesota are held on Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in either even-numbered years or odd-numbered years. According to the Minnesota School Board Association, 90% of districts held even-year elections as of 2022.

In districts not holding a school board nonpartisan primary, all school board candidates appear on the ballot for the general election held on Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in either even-numbered years or odd-numbered years.

In school districts in which the boards pass resolutions to hold primary elections, school board nonpartisan primary elections are held on the second Tuesday in August every two years in either odd-numbered years or even-numbered years. School boards must pass resolutions to hold primary elections before April 15 in any year. A primary is only held if more than two candidates are running for a single-seat race or if the number of candidates running for multi-seat races is more than twice the number of open seats.

In districts holding a school board nonpartisan primary, the top two candidates per seat that receive the most votes advance to the general election held on Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in either even-numbered years or odd-numbered years.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 123B and Chapter 205A and Minnesota School Board Association: The Importance of School Board Elections and Minnesota Statutes Chapter 123B and Chapter 205A and Minnesota School Board Association: The Importance of School Board Elections and Minnesota Statutes Chapter 123B and Chapter 205A

Recent or upcoming election dates for school districts holding a school board nonpartisan primary election

Below are the recent/upcoming dates for school districts holding a school board nonpartisan primary election. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.

  • Filing deadline date: June 3, 2025
  • Primary election date: August 12, 2025
  • General election date: November 4, 2025
Recent or upcoming election dates for school districts not holding a school board primary election

Below are the recent/upcoming dates for school districts not holding a school board primary election. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.

  • Filing deadline date: August 13, 2025
  • General election date: November 4, 2025

Election system

School board members in Minnesota are elected through either a nonpartisan general election without a primary or through a system of a nonpartisan primary election and a nonpartisan general election, depending on whether or not the school board passed a resolution to hold a primary election.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 123B

Party labels on the ballot

School board elections in Minnesota are nonpartisan, which means party labels do not appear on the ballot for school board candidates. Minnesota Statute requires election clerks to "place the name of the [school board] candidate on the official ballot without partisan designation."

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 205A

Winning an election

If a school board passed a resolution to hold a primary for that cycle and enough candidates are running to require a primary election, the candidates with the most votes in the nonpartisan primary advance to the general election. A primary is only held if more than two candidates are running for a single-seat race or if the number of candidates running for multi-seat races is more than twice the number of open seats. In single-seat races, two candidates advance to the general election. In multi-seat races, twice as many candidates as open seats advance to the general election.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 123B and Chapter 205A and Minnesota School Board Association: The Importance of School Board Elections

Term length and staggering

School board members have four-year terms.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 205A

School board elections are staggered so that as close to half of a district's school board members as possible are up for election every two years.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 123B and Chapter 205A

Representation: at large vs. by sub-district

School board members are elected at large, by sub-district, or through a combination of at large and by sub-district. The school boards of all school districts except those located within the four first-class cities in the state can put a question on the ballot for voter approval proposing the creation of or change to election districts (sub-districts). The proposal can include any combination of single-member districts, multi-member districts, and at-large seats. State law requires Minneapolis Public Schools to have six board members elected by sub-district and three members elected at large. As of 2022, 314 districts (96%) had board members all elected at large, nine districts (3%) had board members all elected from sub-districts, and five districts (2%) had board members elected through a combination of at large and by sub-district.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 123B, Chapter 128, and Chapter 128D

Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates

In districts not holding school board primary elections, the deadline for school board candidates to file affidavits of candidacy is 84 days before the November school board general election.

In districts holding school board primary elections, the deadline for school board candidates to file affidavits of candidacy is 70 days before the August primary election.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 205A

In districts not holding school board primary elections, school board candidates cannot file affidavits of candidacy until 98 days before the November school board general election.

In districts holding school board primary elections, school board candidates cannot file affidavits of candidacy until 84 days before the August primary election.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 205A and Minnesota Statutes Chapter 205A

School board member terms expire and the terms of newly elected school board members officially begin on the first Monday of January following the election.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 205A

 


About the district

School board

The Cook County School District consists of five members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.

List of school board members
NameSeatYear assumed officeYear term ends
Carrie JansenDistrict 22028
Quinn McCloughanDistrict 420252028
Erik RedixDistrict 12026
Rena RogersDistrict 32026
Dan ShirleyDistrict 52026

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District map

School district map

Overlapping state house districts

Cook County School District
Office NameCurrent OfficeholderParty% School District Covered% Other District Covered
Minnesota House of Representatives District 3ARoger SkrabaRepublican Party 100% 24%

The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]

Revenue, 2021-2022
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $1,188,000 $2,756 13%
Local: $2,806,000 $6,510 30%
State: $5,331,000 $12,369 57%
Total: $9,325,000 $21,636
Expenditures, 2021-2022
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $9,240,000 $21,438
Total Current Expenditures: $8,080,000 $18,747
Instructional Expenditures: $5,411,000 $12,554 59%
Student and Staff Support: $548,000 $1,271 6%
Administration: $798,000 $1,851 9%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $1,323,000 $3,069 14%
Total Capital Outlay: $544,000 $1,262
Construction: $73,000 $169
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $257,000 $596
Interest on Debt: $254,000 $589

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 20-24 PS <50 <=20 <50 20-24
2018-2019 30 PS PS <50 11-19 21-39 30-34
2017-2018 40 PS PS <50 <=20 >=50 45-49
2016-2017 40 PS PS <50 11-19 21-39 45-49
2015-2016 42 PS PS <50 20-29 <50 50-54
2014-2015 47 PS <50 30-39 <50 50-54
2013-2014 49 PS PS PS 11-19 >=50 55-59
2012-2013 46 PS PS 20-29 <50 50-54
2011-2012 39 PS <50 11-19 <50 45-49
2010-2011 43 PS PS <50 20-29 45-49

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 45-49 PS <50 <=20 40-59 55-59
2018-2019 56 PS PS <50 20-29 >=50 60-64
2017-2018 55 PS PS <50 30-39 >=50 55-59
2016-2017 55 PS PS <50 11-19 <50 65-69
2015-2016 50 PS PS <50 11-19 <50 60-64
2014-2015 50 PS <50 20-29 <50 60-64
2013-2014 50 PS PS <50 20-29 >=50 55-59
2012-2013 53 PS PS PS 20-29 <50 60-64
2011-2012 73 PS >=50 60-69 <50 75-79
2010-2011 70 PS PS >=50 50-59 70-74

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 >=90 >=50 PS >=80
2018-2019 80-89 PS >=50 80-89
2017-2018 >=90 PS >=50 PS >=90
2016-2017 >=90 PS >=50 PS >=80
2015-2016 80-89 >=50 80-89
2014-2015 80-89 PS PS <50 >=90
2013-2014 80-89 PS >=50 >=80
2012-2013 90-94 PS >=50 >=90
2011-2012 80-89 PS >=50 >=80
2010-2011 70-79 PS >=50 80-89

Students

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2023-2024 457 -0.4
2022-2023 459 6.1
2021-2022 431 7.9
2020-2021 397 -23.4
2019-2020 490 -2.0
2018-2019 500 -3.0
2017-2018 515 0.8
2016-2017 511 11.4
2015-2016 453 -1.8
2014-2015 461 3.3
2013-2014 446 -5.8
2012-2013 472 1.5
2011-2012 465 -4.7
2010-2011 487 -3.1
2009-2010 502 -8.0
2008-2009 542 -7.4
2007-2008 582 -0.9
2006-2007 587 -1.7
2005-2006 597 -10.7
2004-2005 661 2.6
2003-2004 644 -7.9
2002-2003 695 -3.0
2001-2002 716 -3.5
2000-2001 741 0.7
1999-2000 736 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2023-2024
RACE Cook County School District (%) Minnesota K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 14.7 1.8
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 0.0 7.1
Black 0.0 11.8
Hispanic 6.1 11.5
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.0 0.1
Two or More Races 11.4 6.4
White 67.8 61.4

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Staff

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]

As of the 2023-2024 school year, Cook County School District had 42.13 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 10.85.

Teachers, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 2.17
Kindergarten: 3.00
Elementary: 13.19
Secondary: 20.57
Total: 42.13

Cook County School District employed 3.01 district administrators and 1.87 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.

Administrators, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 3.01
District Administrative Support: 0.75
School Administrators: 1.87
School Administrative Support: 2.00
Other staff, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 17.27
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 1.72
Total Guidance Counselors: 0.99
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 0.23
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 0.76
Librarians/Media Specialists: 0.00
Library/Media Support: 1.00
Student Support Services: 7.48
Other Support Services: 12.31

Schools

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]

The Cook County School District operates four schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Cook County Middle926-8
Cook County Senior High1739-12
Grand Marais Community06-12
Sawtooth Mountain Elementary192PK-5


About school boards

Education legislation in Minnesota

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

School Boards Education Policy Local Politics Minnesota
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External links

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    • Footnotes

    1. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
    2. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
    3. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
    4. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
    5. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
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