Richfield study session briefs prospective school board candidates on filing rules, duties and election timing

On Monday, July 14, the Richfield Public School District held a study session at the district office to brief prospective candidates about eligibility, filing deadlines, campaign-finance requirements and the duties of school board members.

The session, led by Board Treasurer Ken Les, covered candidate eligibility (must be at least 21, an eligible voter and a district resident for 30 days before the election), how to file to appear on the ballot, campaign-finance reporting thresholds and the board’s major responsibilities.

“The study session today is an informational session for people who may be interested in running to be selected to the school board,” Board Treasurer Ken Les said at the start of the meeting.

Why it matters: The district is transitioning its election schedule to even-numbered years. That change affects term lengths for the next two cycles and can alter when potential candidates must plan to run.

Key points from the meeting

- Filing and deadlines: The district’s single filing period runs from July 29 through Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. Candidates who file may withdraw and avoid appearing on the November ballot by 5 p.m. on Aug. 14. Affidavits of candidacy must be filed in person or by mail with the school district election clerk, Cassandra Quam, at the Richfield district office, 401 Seventieth Street West.

- Fees and forms: The filing fee is $2, payable by cash or check. The form must be completed fully and legibly; presentation slides and forms are available on the Richfield Public Schools website under the school board materials.

- Campaign-finance reporting: A campaign that receives or spends $750 or more must file an initial report within 14 days. All candidates must file a certification of filing within seven days after the election. After an initial report, a candidate must submit annual reports each January until filing a final report.

- Eligibility and conflicts: Candidates must be at least 21, eligible voters, district residents at least 30 days before the election and may not have a felony conviction. Minnesota law limits how much a school board member may earn from the district; the session cited a commonly referenced threshold of about $20,000 per year for employment-related earnings while serving on the board.

- Board duties and constraints: Presenters emphasized the board’s big-picture responsibilities: setting vision and goals, reviewing policies (the district reviews policies on a five-year cycle), monitoring student achievement and delegating day-to-day management to the superintendent. The board also noted statutory powers such as issuing bonds with voter approval, levying taxes and approving contracts.

- Open meeting and data-privacy rules: The session reviewed Minnesota’s open meetings requirements and best practices for avoiding serial meetings outside public view; the board noted that a quorum (four or more members) may not meet informally to discuss district business. Members also reviewed confidentiality obligations for student and staff data and cautioned against using reply-all email threads to discuss substantive matters.

- Student involvement and community engagement: Board members described a practice of involving students, parents and other stakeholder groups when revising policies that affect students (for example, cell-phone or dress-code rules). The district also highlighted programs such as the Richfield College Experience Program (RCEP) and an annual Job Olympics for juniors and seniors as examples of student-centered work.

Election-timing resolution and transitional terms

The board has approved a resolution to transition school board elections to even-numbered years. As explained at the session, members elected in 2025 and 2027 will serve three-year terms to shift the cycle; beginning with the 2028 election, terms will revert to four years and elections will be held in even years. The session presented this as an adopted board resolution; no motion text, roll-call tally or ordinance number was provided in the presentation materials.

Board members’ perspective and advice for prospective candidates

Several board members shared brief reflections about why they ran and what surprised them about the role—topics included equity work, community outreach, attending events such as graduation and balancing advocacy for individual students with the board’s institutional responsibilities. Presenters urged prospective candidates to meet with the superintendent and board chair, attend meetings, review agendas and minutes, and watch past meeting video to see how sessions play out in practice.

Where to get forms and more information

The presentation directed prospective candidates to the Richfield Public Schools website (www.richfieldschools.org/about/forschoolboard) for forms and the candidate packet, and identified Cassandra Quam as the district election clerk and filing contact at the district office address noted above.

The study session adjourned ahead of the regular board meeting scheduled for 7 p.m.