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Board approves special law to shift Rochester schoolboard to at-large elections; change effective November 2026
Summary
The board voted to accept Laws 2026 chapter 55, formally moving ISD 535 from the previous alley system to a standard at-large election format; the clerk will file the required certificate with the Minnesota Secretary of State and the change is slated to take effect for the November 2026 election.
The Rochester Public Schools board voted Tuesday to adopt a resolution accepting state special legislation (Laws 2026, chapter 55) that repeals the district's prior "alley" election system and authorizes a standard at-large election format for ISD 535.
Board action and process: The board adopted the resolution authorizing the schoolboard clerk to file the certificate of approval and a copy of the resolution with the Minnesota Secretary of State, as required by Minnesota Statutes §645.021 subdivision 3, to make the special law effective.
Timing: District presenters said the change will be implemented for the November 2026 schoolboard election. Board members thanked the legislative committee and local legislators for securing the change in the 2026 session.
Why it matters: Moving to an at-large format changes how candidates run and how voters across the district vote for schoolboard seats; the filing completes the last local step required to put the new law into effect.
