All four candidates backed by the teachers union cruised to victory Tuesday in a 10-way race for St. Paul school board.
Board chair Zuki Ellis and vice-chair Steve Marchese each won with over 17 percent of all votes cast in the race.
Joining them for the next four years are Chauntyll Allen and Jessica Kopp, both 45, who each garnered about 14 percent of the vote.
Allen is a Black Lives Matter activist and educational assistant in the district who had the enthusiastic support of the city DFL Party. She’ll have to leave her job at Como Park Senior High.
Kopp is a parent leader at her child’s school and a former teacher. Though she had the teachers union on her side, she’s the only winner who didn’t garner a DFL Party endorsement; the party in June picked only three for the race.
Ellis, 45, and Marchese, 52, were among four new board members swept into office in 2015 behind an unhappy teachers union; colleagues Jon Schumacher and Mary Vanderwert did not seek second terms this year.
The board removed Superintendent Valeria Silva in 2016 but not before blessing her ambitious plan to make over virtually every school in the district over 10 years, nearly quadrupling annual spending on facilities, to $112 million.
A report to the board last month explored how costs for the first 18 major projects in that plan have climbed by over 60 percent.
The district also faces growing competition from charter schools in the city, which have enrolled thousands of students away from the district, resulting in budget cuts that board members admit lack a coherent strategy.
Still, the district easily won voter approval on a referendum last fall that raised property taxes to boost their operating budget.
“I understand the school district’s been having some trouble, but I feel like it’s pretty stable. They’re doing a pretty good job,” said voter Bob DeBoer, who had Ellis and Marchese on his ballot.
Their nearest challenger was Charlie Castro, with less than 9 percent of the vote. She was followed, in order, by Jennifer McPherson, Omar Syed, Tiffany Fearing, Ryan Williams and Elijah Norris-Holliday.
SOUTH WASHINGTON
In one of several contested suburban races, South Washington County is getting three new school board members after voters overwhelmingly rejected incumbents Heather Hirsch and Ron Kath, who combined for just 16 percent of the total vote in a 10-person race.
Newcomers Louise Hinz and Simi Patnaik had 21 and 20 percent respectively, and Melinda Dols took 17 percent.
Michelle Witte did not seek another term.
RECOUNT IN HASTINGS?
In a tight race for four seats on the Hastings school board, newcomer Brian Davis led with 18 percent of all votes.
Five candidates had between 11 and 12 percent of the vote, with just nine votes separating the fourth winner from the first runner-up — close enough for a publicly funded recount if it’s contested.
The race’s lone incumbent, Lisa Hedin, appeared to win a seat, along with Becky Beissel and Stephanie Malm. Jessica Gelhar and Melanie Peters were close behind.
ROSEMOUNT-APPLE VALLEY-EAGAN
In a 12-candidate race for four seats on the school board, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan voters retained all three incumbents while approving a property tax increase.
Jackie Magnuson and Joel Albright each had 14 percent of all votes and Sachin Isaacs 12 percent. They’ll be joined on the board by Cory Johnson, who had almost 10 percent; he takes over for Bob Schutte, who did not seek re-election.
MOUNDS VIEW
All three school board incumbents won in Mounds View as Heidi Danielson led with 24 percent of the vote in a five-way race for four seats. Sandra Westerman had 23 percent and Jonathan Weinhagen 20 percent.
They’ll be joined by James DeMay, who had 18 percent.
Bob Helgeson did not seek re-election.
WHITE BEAR LAKE
In the White Bear Lake school board race, Angela Thompson led with 25 percent of the votes, followed by incumbent Margaret Newmaster, 22 percent, and Scott Arcand, 18 percent.
With 17 percent each, incumbent Scott Wilson and challenger Patrick Battaglia came short in the race for three seats. Ellen Fahey did not seek re-election.