St. Louis Park school board elects officers, approves 2025 compensation and liaison roles

Colin Cox was elected chair of the St. Louis Park Public School District school board and Director Mancini was elected vice chair as the board held its annual organizational meeting in January. The board also named Director Anderson as clerk, filled the treasurer role, approved liaison and member assignments for district advisory groups and outside organizations, set two listening-session dates for 2025 and adopted a 2025 compensation schedule for board members. All formal motions recorded during the meeting passed unanimously, 5-0.

The organizational meeting matters because the board’s officers and assigned liaisons set the district’s internal leadership for the year and determine who will represent the district on external bodies such as Brightworks and AMSD. The board also confirmed administrative delegations required for routine financial operations, and approved stipend levels that the board said are automatically adjusted in line with state education funding changes.

Colin Cox, elected by voice vote, chaired the meeting and called for votes on each officer position. “All those in favor of me, Colin Cox, being board chair, say aye,” he said before the board recorded the motion as passing 5-0. Director Mancini was nominated and accepted the vice chair role; she told the board she was “excited to serve” and referenced her classroom experience and two years on the district financial advisory committee. “I’m willing to step up,” Mancini said.

Director Anderson was nominated for clerk; she accepted and said the role would be an opportunity to learn more about how the board operates. After the officer elections the board noted that filling those officer roles created a vacancy in the non-officer director assignments and discussed handing over duties or allowing the new clerk time to transition into the role.

On committee and liaison roles, the board reviewed a list of proposed board liaison roles, member roles and city commission appointments that the board will use for communications with district advisory councils, school parent advisory councils and external boards. The board discussed Brightworks — described during the meeting as a regional support organization originally formed under federal accountability programs and now focused on literacy supports, including work on the READ Act — and noted an application deadline for Brightworks board seats of Jan. 27. The board approved the liaison and member assignments as presented.

The board voted to approve recommended 2025 board compensation. During discussion a board member explained the stipend structure and that a policy adopted about two years earlier ties annual increases to changes in the state education funding formula. The amounts discussed by the board were $6,095 for officer positions and $5,531 for directors who are not officers; the board said any future increase would mirror increases to the general education funding formula. A board member framed the stipend as modest and noted the time commitment members make beyond twice-monthly meetings, including committee work and community engagement.

The board also approved two school board listening-session dates for 2025: a virtual session on Feb. 10, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m., and an in-person session on April 22, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. The April session was discussed as a time to solicit community input and possibly tie into budget discussions.

Finally, the board approved a slate of organizational business items and a resolution designating the school district’s responsible authority for administrative purposes. The resolution designated Dr. Carlandreya Hines, superintendent, as the district’s responsible authority for the listed organizational items, which included designation of the official newspaper, depository, electronic fund-transfer authorization, investment authority, payroll dispersal authority, early claim payments authorization, appointment of deputy clerk and deputy treasurer, check signatures and appointment of district legal counsel.

With those items completed, the board moved to adjourn the organizational meeting.