Meet the candidates for Stillwater School Board

Eight candidates are running for four seats on the Stillwater Area Public Schools board of education in the election on Nov. 3. Three incumbents, Alison Sherman, Pete Kelzenberg and Chris Lauer, are seeking reelection, and five newcomers are challenging them. The board's vice-chair originally ran too but suspended his campaign in late August. His name still appears on the ballot.

The Stillwater Gazette sent every candidate a questionnaire asking about the district's most pressing issues and how to keep a balanced budget while encouraging growth. In the responses included here, finances come up often. Several candidates say state funding does not cover mandates and special education costs, and that state and federal support is declining. A candidate who identifies as board chair says roughly 60% of the district's funding comes from the state and describes a new community financial advisory group.

Many answers call for more transparency and for involving students, families and staff in decisions. Some candidates propose multi-year financial planning, efforts to attract and keep students, or advocacy at the state level. Others raise student mental health, school safety, or the number of recent changes, such as schedule and bus changes and new buildings. The text provided ends partway through one candidate's response, so the full article has the complete set of answers.