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Candidates debate proficiency, safety and a levy at Robbinsdale Area Schools forum
Summary
Seven candidates for three Robbinsdale Area Schools board seats took questions from the League of Women Voters on superintendent oversight, student proficiency and the Read Act, board unity, budget priorities and a technology/safety levy; all onstage candidates said they would vote yes on the levy renewal.
At a League of Women Voters candidate forum, seven people running for three seats on the Robbinsdale Area Schools board outlined priorities for student achievement, staff support and district transparency.
Moderator Jackie Wells opened the forum and described the format: two-minute opening statements, one-minute answers to audience questions, and one-minute closing remarks. Candidates emphasized measurable goals for the superintendent, steady implementation of reading interventions and community trust in budget decisions.
Several candidates cited the district's early work on the state's reading law as a driver for recent gains in reading proficiency. "There's a new state law called the Read Act, and that mandates that all teachers understand learn, the science of how kids learn how to read," Rita Evans Becker said, noting Robbinsdale trained a substantial share of teachers early on. Candidates also raised concerns about pandemic disruption to learning and about how tests reflect student backgrounds.
On finance, every candidate onstage said they would vote to reauthorize the district's capital/technology levy. "I am emphatically voting yes for this referendum. It does not increase property tax. It's continuation of a ref of a levy that we had. It's $7,000,000 that if it doesn't pass, we have to find $7,000,000 someplace else in the budget," Rita Evans Becker said.
Candidates proposed steps to restore public confidence: clearer monthly reporting on levy spending, community advisory input and program evaluations. They also urged the board to set shared norms and model respectful behavior to improve governance.
The League closed with voting reminders and links to voter information sites and said the forum would be posted unedited so voters can review candidates' full remarks.
