Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.

Minnesota school board elections, 2023

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge-smaller use.png
Special state legislative • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • How to run for office
Flag of Minnesota.png


Minnesota was one of 10 states where Ballotpedia provided comprehensive school board election coverage in 2023.
Learn more about our comprehensive coverage here.


Elections

The table below contains links to all school board elections within Ballotpedia's regular coverage scope in this state, which included all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population, the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment.

Editor's note: Some school districts choose to cancel the primary election, or both the primary and general election, if the number of candidates who filed does not meet a certain threshold. The table below does not reflect which primary or general elections were canceled. Please click through to each school district's page for more information.

2023 Minnesota School Board Elections
District Primary General Election General Runoff Election Regular term length Seats up for election Total board seats 2022-2023 enrollment
Anoka-Hennepin School District N/A 11/7/2023 N/A 4 3 6 38,590
Saint Paul Public Schools N/A 11/7/2023 N/A 4 4 7 32,316

Ballotpedia is covering all other school board elections in Minnesota, including those outside of our regular coverage scope. Use the links below to view all covered elections in Minnesota.




Academic performance

See also: Public education in Minnesota

BP-Initials-UPDATED.png The sections below do not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.

Education terms
Education Policy Logo on Ballotpedia.png
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
Public Policy Logo-one line.png
School board elections portal
Glossary of education terms
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

NAEP scores

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The table below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin), Minnesota's fourth and eighth graders earned the highest scores across the board.[1]

Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013
Math - Grade 4 Math - Grade 8 Reading - Grade 4 Reading - Grade 8
Minnesota 59% 47% 41% 41%
North Dakota 48% 41% 34% 34%
South Dakota 40% 38% 32% 36%
Wisconsin 47% 40% 35% 36%
United States 41% 34% 34% 34%
Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables"

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Minnesota and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.[1][2][3]

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.[4]

Minnesota schools reported a graduation rate of 79.8 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, lowest among its neighboring states.

In Minnesota, more students took the ACT than the SAT in 2013, earning an average ACT score of 23.

Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013
State Graduation rate, 2013 Average ACT composite, 2013 Average SAT composite, 2013
Percent Quintile ranking** Score Participation rate Score Participation rate
Minnesota 79.8% Fourth 23 74% 1780 6%
North Dakota 87.5% First 20.5 98% 1799 2%
South Dakota 82.7% Third 21.9 78% 1760 3%
Wisconsin 88% First 22.1 71% 1771 4%
United States 81.4% 20.9 54% 1498 50%
**Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally.
Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express"
ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores"
The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013"

Dropout rate

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Minnesota was lower than the national average at 1.8 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 1.9 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.[5]

State profile

State profile

Demographic data for Minnesota
 MinnesotaU.S.
Total population:5,482,435316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):79,6273,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:84.8%73.6%
Black/African American:5.5%12.6%
Asian:4.4%5.1%
Native American:1%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.7%3%
Hispanic/Latino:5%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:92.4%86.7%
College graduation rate:33.7%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$61,492$53,889
Persons below poverty level:12.2%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Minnesota.
**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.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Minnesota

Minnesota voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 19 are located in Minnesota, accounting for 9.22 percent of the total pivot counties.[6]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Minnesota had 15 Retained Pivot Counties and four Boomerang Pivot Counties, accounting for 8.29 and 16.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Minnesota coverage on Ballotpedia

Pivot Counties

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Nineteen of 87 Minnesota counties—21.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Beltrami County, Minnesota 9.72% 9.89% 10.15%
Blue Earth County, Minnesota 3.69% 9.48% 12.95%
Chippewa County, Minnesota 28.70% 1.87% 5.87%
Clay County, Minnesota 1.95% 7.92% 16.02%
Fillmore County, Minnesota 21.70% 7.34% 8.26%
Freeborn County, Minnesota 17.24% 14.11% 17.13%
Houston County, Minnesota 13.87% 3.16% 10.69%
Itasca County, Minnesota 16.35% 9.83% 12.92%
Kittson County, Minnesota 22.05% 6.03% 18.54%
Koochiching County, Minnesota 19.85% 9.45% 10.10%
Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota 25.60% 0.90% 5.92%
Mahnomen County, Minnesota 2.92% 18.56% 25.31%
Mower County, Minnesota 7.82% 22.61% 23.61%
Nicollet County, Minnesota 3.04% 7.83% 10.52%
Norman County, Minnesota 13.34% 10.79% 26.94%
Rice County, Minnesota 3.06% 8.27% 11.50%
Swift County, Minnesota 25.57% 9.83% 13.79%
Traverse County, Minnesota 23.30% 4.44% 5.41%
Winona County, Minnesota 2.90% 12.85% 19.09%

In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won Minnesota with 46.4 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 44.9 percent. In presidential elections between 1860 and 2016, Minnesota voted Republican 50 percent of the time and Democratic 47.5 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Minnesota voted Democratic all five times.[7]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Minnesota. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[8][9]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 68 out of 134 state House districts in Minnesota with an average margin of victory of 27.6 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 62 out of 134 state House districts in Minnesota with an average margin of victory of 30.4 points. Clinton won 12 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 66 out of 134 state House districts in Minnesota with an average margin of victory of 12.3 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 72 out of 134 state House districts in Minnesota with an average margin of victory of 23.8 points. Trump won seven districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

Additional elections

See also: Minnesota elections, 2023

What's on your ballot?
Click here to find out using My Vote

Battleground election

Anoka-Hennepin School District

See also: Anoka-Hennepin School District, Minnesota, elections (2023)

Ballotpedia identified the November 7, 2023, Anoka-Hennepin School District school board election as a battleground race. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.

Seven candidates ran in the nonpartisan general election for Anoka-Hennepin School District school board in Minnesota on November 7, 2023. Districts 1, 2, and 5 were up for election.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District covers both Anoka and Hennepin counties. The district had 38,230 students during the 2021-2022 school year.[10] The school board has six members elected by district to four-year terms on a staggered basis in November of odd-numbered years.[11]

Linda Hoekman defeated incumbent Erin Heers-McArdle in District 1. Hoekman, a teacher at Champlin Park High School, said during the campaign, "I am committed to restoring excellence, freedom, and fairness to our schools by working with parents to ensure our children are protected from violence and politicized instruction."[12] Heers-McArdle, a fine art jeweler and metalsmith, was elected to the board in 2019.[13] Heers-McArdle said she "want[s]to give our students, teachers, and staff the tools, resources, and support necessary to maintain a safe, inclusive environment that is welcoming to all. By building upon the gifts and talents of each student in our care, we help ensure their success. "[14]

Zach Arco defeated Susan Witt in District 2. Arco, a mechanical engineer, said, "As a husband and father working as a Mechanical Engineer," he "has a mind for diagnosing and solving problems, which is just what Anoka-Hennepin needs."[15] Witt, a retired elementary school teacher, said, "I am running because just like I did in my classroom for more than 27 years, we need to lead with a 'student first' mentality and strive to create an environment where our students feel safe, welcome, and supported."[16]

Michelle Langenfeld defeated Scott Simmons and Cyrus Wilson to win in District 5. Langenfield, a teacher, dean, assistant principal, principal, and associate superintendent, said, "I believe that every child being served in our schools is most deserving of equitable access to high-quality learning experiences; provided by exceptional educators in safe, caring, and supportive learning environments to prepare them well to succeed and thrive in the postsecondary pathway of their choice and beyond."[17][18]

Simmons, an attorney and substitute teacher, said, "I'm running because it's time to put students first. The shortcomings of the system are real and have persisted for too long: failing test scores, an unacceptable achievement gap, unsafe classrooms, [and] teacher retention challenges."[19][20] Wilson, an IT manager, said, "My candidacy is driven by a forward-thinking vision for education, a deep commitment to our community’s growth, and an unwavering dedication to ensuring the success of each and every student."[19]

Before the filing period for school board elections opened on August 1, 2023, several organizations had already endorsed slates of candidates. The Anoka-Hennepin chapter of the Education Minnesota (AHEM) teachers union endorsed Heers-McArdle, Kimball Newton (who did not run), and Langenfeld.[21] The nonprofit Anoka-Hennepin Parents Alliance – which described itself as promoting academic excellence, school safety, and "parental rights on political, religious, and moral issues" – endorsed Hoekman, Arco, and Simmons.[22]


See also

Minnesota School Boards News and Analysis
Seal of Minnesota.svg
School Board badge.png
Ballotpedia RSS.jpg

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables," accessed May 13, 2014
  2. ↑ ACT, "2012 ACT National and State Scores," accessed May 13, 2014
  3. ↑ Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT Scores by State 2013," October 10, 2013
  4. ↑ StudyPoints, "What's a good SAT score or ACT score?" accessed June 7, 2015
  5. ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD), State Dropout and Graduation Rate Data File, School Year 2010-11, Provision Version 1a and School Year 2011-12, Preliminary Version 1a," accessed May 13, 2014
  6. ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
  7. ↑ 270towin.com, "Minnesota," accessed June 29, 2017
  8. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  9. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  10. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Local Education Agency (School District) Universe Survey Data," accessed June 26, 2024
  11. ↑ Anoka-Hennepin School District, "School Board members," accessed October 9, 2023
  12. ↑ Hoekman for School Board, "Meet Linda," accessed October 8, 2023
  13. ↑ Anoka Middle School, "Anoka-Hennepin School Board Treasurer Erin Heers-McArdle visits AMSA as guest presenter," May 24, 2023
  14. ↑ Erin for School Board, "About," accessed October 8, 2023
  15. ↑ Zach Arco, "About," accessed October 8, 2023
  16. ↑ Susan Witt for School Board, "Home," accessed October 8, 2023
  17. ↑ Michelle Langenfeld, "Michelle's Experience," accessed October 8, 2023
  18. ↑ Michelle Langenfeld, "Home," accessed October 8, 2023
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Hometown Source, "VOTERS GUIDE: Candidates run for open District 5 Anoka-Hennepin School Board seat," October 3, 2023
  20. ↑ YouTube, "Local Vote 2023: Scott Simmons for Anoka-Hennepin School Board," October 3, 2023
  21. ↑ Alpha News, "Campaign for control of state’s largest school district kicks off," August 3, 2023
  22. ↑ Anoka-Hennepin Parents Alliance, "MEET THE "PARENTS' CHOICE" ANOKA-HENNEPIN SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES - FALL 2023," accessed October 9, 2023
v • e
Minnesota school districts
v • e
2023 school board elections
ResourcesSchool Board badge.png
Elections by state
Local elections
Ballotpedia coverage
v • e
School districts in the United States
Districts by stateSchool Board badge.png
Elections
2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013
School board recalls
Elections by state
Analysis
2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020
Lists
State
agencies
Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Minnesota_school_board_elections,_2023&oldid=9975872"