Hopkins board weighs moving school board elections to even years to boost turnout and cut costs

The Hopkins Public Schools Board discussed on May 6 whether to shift its school board elections from odd years to even years, a move board members said could increase voter turnout and reduce the district's election-related expenses.

Board Chair Shannon Andreesen opened the discussion and turned the topic over to Treasurer Rachel Hartland, who co-chairs the district's Legislative Action Coalition. Hartland said the district's most recent school-board election drew "fewer than 7,000 people" out of about 40,000 registered voters in the district, a turnout she described as "very low." She told the board that "our district's estimated savings if we moved to even year elections are around $50,000," and later noted additional staff time and labor could increase that figure.

Why it matters: Board members said aligning school-board elections with state and federal contests could increase participation and spread election costs across more jurisdictions. Board members also raised operational concerns, including staffing capacity for running elections and the timing of any transition, which could require either extending or shortening current terms.

Board discussion and key details

Treasurer Rachel Hartland said even-year elections…