Your monthly support provides voters the knowledge they need to make confident decisions at the polls. Donate today.
Rochester Public Schools, Minnesota, elections
| Rochester Public Schools |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 7 |
| Students: 17,342 (2023-2024) |
| Schools: 50 (2023-2024) |
| Website: Link |
Rochester Public Schools is a school district in Minnesota (Olmsted and Wabasha counties). During the 2024 school year, 17,342 students attended one of the district's 50 schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
Do you know of an individual or group that endorsed a candidate for a position on this board? Click here to let us know.
Rochester Public Schools, Position 1
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 1
Don Barlow and Patrick Farmer ran in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 1 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Don Barlow (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Patrick Farmer (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 3
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 3
Karen MacLaughlin and John F. Whelan ran in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 3 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Karen MacLaughlin (Nonpartisan) | ||
| John F. Whelan (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 7
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 7
Christina Lucille Barton and Stephanie M. Whitehorn ran in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 7 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Christina Lucille Barton (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Stephanie M. Whitehorn (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 2
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 2
Justin M. Cook and Rae Parker ran in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 2 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | ||
 | Justin M. Cook (Nonpartisan) | |
| Rae Parker (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 4
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 4
John Whelan and Julie Workman ran in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 4 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| John Whelan (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Julie Workman (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 5
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 5
Jean Marvin and Kimberly Rishavy ran in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 5 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| Jean Marvin (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Kimberly Rishavy (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 6
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 6
Cathy Nathan and Elena Niehoff ran in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 6 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| Cathy Nathan (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Elena Niehoff (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 1
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 1
Incumbent Don Barlow won election in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 1 on November 8, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Don Barlow (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 3
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 3
Incumbent Deborah Seelinger won election in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 3 on November 8, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Deborah Seelinger (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 7
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 7
Incumbent Mark Schleusner won election in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 7 on November 8, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Mark Schleusner (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 2
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 2
Incumbent Gary W. Smith won election in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 2 on November 4, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Gary W. Smith (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 4
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 4
Incumbent Julie Workman won election in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 4 on November 4, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Julie Workman (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 5
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 5
Incumbent Jean Marvin won election in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 5 on November 4, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Jean Marvin (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Rochester Public Schools, Position 6
General election
General election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 6
Incumbent Anne Becker won election in the general election for Rochester Public Schools, Position 6 on November 4, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Anne Becker (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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.
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
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
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
See law:
Minnesota Statutes Chapter 205A
About the district
School board
Rochester Public Schools consists of seven members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Maclaughlin | Position 3 | 2028 | |
| Stephanie Whitehorn | Position 7 | 2025 | 2028 |
| Don Barlow | Position 1 | 2017 | 2028 |
| Justin Cook | Position 2 | 2026 | |
| Jean Marvin | Position 5 | 2026 | |
| Cathy Nathan | Position 6 | 2026 | |
| Julie Workman | Position 4 | 2010 | 2026 |
Join the conversation about school board politics
Unlock the full dataset for your own use cases — explore subscription options to our comprehensive list of all school board members in the country.
District map
Overlapping state house districts
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]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $30,314,000 | $1,721 | 10% |
| Local: | $81,428,000 | $4,622 | 27% |
| State: | $191,011,000 | $10,842 | 63% |
| Total: | $302,753,000 | $17,185 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $397,229,000 | $22,548 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $249,552,000 | $14,165 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $161,150,000 | $9,147 | 41% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $25,366,000 | $1,439 | 6% |
| Administration: | $21,494,000 | $1,220 | 5% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $41,542,000 | $2,358 | 10% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $122,247,000 | $6,939 | |
| Construction: | $120,397,000 | $6,834 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $13,502,000 | $766 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $9,800,000 | $556 |
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 | 40 | 50 | 17 | 16 | 21-39 | 35 | 49 |
| 2018-2019 | 50 | 56 | 25 | 25 | 30-39 | 45 | 60 |
| 2017-2018 | 53 | 59 | 28 | 28 | 30-39 | 46 | 63 |
| 2016-2017 | 54 | 61 | 30 | 28 | 30-39 | 51 | 64 |
| 2015-2016 | 56 | 62 | 31 | 29 | 30-39 | 55 | 64 |
| 2014-2015 | 59 | 65 | 35 | 31 | 40-59 | 59 | 67 |
| 2013-2014 | 60 | 66 | 33 | 35 | <=20 | 56 | 67 |
| 2012-2013 | 60 | 65 | 32 | 34 | 21-39 | 50-54 | 68 |
| 2011-2012 | 68 | 73 | 41 | 44 | 60-79 | 60-64 | 75 |
| 2010-2011 | 62 | 67 | 34 | 38 | 50-59 | 69 |
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 | 51 | 56 | 30 | 27 | 21-39 | 49 | 61 |
| 2018-2019 | 55 | 57 | 34 | 29 | 50-59 | 52 | 66 |
| 2017-2018 | 57 | 60 | 34 | 34 | 50-59 | 56 | 67 |
| 2016-2017 | 57 | 56 | 36 | 33 | 40-49 | 57 | 67 |
| 2015-2016 | 60 | 62 | 36 | 35 | 50-59 | 58 | 68 |
| 2014-2015 | 60 | 59 | 36 | 34 | 40-59 | 62 | 68 |
| 2013-2014 | 59 | 60 | 37 | 33 | 40-59 | 59 | 67 |
| 2012-2013 | 58 | 57 | 33 | 34 | 21-39 | 55-59 | 66 |
| 2011-2012 | 77 | 76 | 55 | 54 | >=80 | 75-79 | 84 |
| 2010-2011 | 77 | 75 | 55 | 54 | 80-89 | 83 |
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 | 86 | 85-89 | 75-79 | 80-84 | >=50 | 80-89 | 89 |
| 2018-2019 | 86 | 90-94 | 80-84 | 80-84 | <50 | 70-79 | 88 |
| 2017-2018 | 87 | 85-89 | 80-84 | 75-79 | >=50 | 80-89 | 90 |
| 2016-2017 | 86 | 85-89 | 75-79 | 75-79 | >=50 | 70-79 | 89 |
| 2015-2016 | 86 | 85-89 | 75-79 | 70-74 | <50 | 89 | |
| 2014-2015 | 82 | 75-79 | 65-69 | 55-59 | >=50 | 88 | |
| 2013-2014 | 84 | 85-89 | 65-69 | 65-69 | >=50 | 88 | |
| 2012-2013 | 83 | 80-84 | 60-64 | 50-54 | PS | 89 | |
| 2011-2012 | 81 | 75-79 | 65-69 | 45-49 | PS | 86 | |
| 2010-2011 | 79 | 65-69 | 50-54 | 50-54 | PS | 87 |
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 | 17,342 | -0.9 |
| 2022-2023 | 17,492 | -0.7 |
| 2021-2022 | 17,617 | 0.8 |
| 2020-2021 | 17,474 | -3.8 |
| 2019-2020 | 18,145 | 0.7 |
| 2018-2019 | 18,015 | 1.2 |
| 2017-2018 | 17,791 | 1.9 |
| 2016-2017 | 17,449 | 0.8 |
| 2015-2016 | 17,304 | 1.7 |
| 2014-2015 | 17,008 | 1.5 |
| 2013-2014 | 16,761 | 1.8 |
| 2012-2013 | 16,451 | 0.8 |
| 2011-2012 | 16,317 | -0.2 |
| 2010-2011 | 16,353 | 0.5 |
| 2009-2010 | 16,278 | 0.2 |
| 2008-2009 | 16,246 | 0.3 |
| 2007-2008 | 16,203 | -0.2 |
| 2006-2007 | 16,237 | 1.6 |
| 2005-2006 | 15,982 | -1.3 |
| 2004-2005 | 16,195 | -1.7 |
| 2003-2004 | 16,470 | 0.4 |
| 2002-2003 | 16,400 | 2.3 |
| 2001-2002 | 16,030 | 0.6 |
| 2000-2001 | 15,929 | -0.8 |
| 1999-2000 | 16,050 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Rochester Public Schools (%) | Minnesota K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.3 | 1.8 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 8.9 | 7.1 |
| Black | 16.0 | 11.8 |
| Hispanic | 13.0 | 11.5 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 8.9 | 6.4 |
| White | 52.8 | 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, Rochester Public Schools had 1,126.34 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 15.4.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 58.51 |
| Kindergarten: | 74.20 |
| Elementary: | 504.87 |
| Secondary: | 449.86 |
| Total: | 1,126.34 |
Rochester Public Schools employed 33.76 district administrators and 62.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 33.76 |
| District Administrative Support: | 55.72 |
| School Administrators: | 62.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 61.33 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 277.23 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 66.57 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 48.37 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 14.50 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 33.87 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 1.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 10.96 |
| Student Support Services: | 309.67 |
| Other Support Services: | 203.58 |
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]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ 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
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
| |||||
