South St. Paul Board of Education members are elected officials. Elections are held in November of even-numbered years. To avoid having all seven seats up for election simultaneously, the seats are balloted on alternating basis, with four spots being available one year, and the remaining three being available two years later. The process then repeats itself.

• Minnesota School Boards Association’s Guide to Running for School Board
• Webinar for candidates who are interested in running for school board

SSP School Board Member Handbook

An informational guide to becoming a school board member, standards for school board leadership, and duties of school board members.

• SSP School Board Member Handbook

Eligibility Requirements 

To run for a school Board seat you must be:

• At least 21 years old;
• Eligible voter
• A District resident for at least 30 days prior to election/appointment;
• Not convicted of a felony;

Source: Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA)

Term of Office

Board members are elected to four-year terms commencing on January 1 of the year following the November election, and ending on December 31 four years later. A member who has been appointed to fill the unfinished term of a member will need to run for election depending on when he/she was appointed. There is no limit on the number of consecutive terms a member can serve.

Filling Vacancies

A vacancy on the Board shall occur when a member dies, resigns, or ceases to be a resident on Special School District No. 6. If a member of the Board of Education is unable to serve on the Board and attend its meetings for ninety (90) days or more because of illness or prolonged absence from the District, the Board may, at any regular or special meeting thereof, declare a vacancy to exist. All vacancies will be filled according to school board policy #214 and Minnesota Statute.

If a seat becomes vacant mid-term, the replacement member will serve a term of office which is the shorter of the following: "until the completion of the unexpired term, or until the first day of January immediately following the next regular Board of Education election taking place more than ninety days after a person is selected by the Board."

The term of a member elected during a special election shall not exceed the term of the member they are replacing. Nor can the term of a Board of Education member be lengthened by the member's resignation and subsequent selection by the Board.

Minnesota Statute states that once the board approves an appointment, the appointed board member cannot be seated until 30-days after the appointment.

Candidate Resources

• Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) Website
• Webinar for candidates by MSBA
• Policy # 214 - School Board Vacancies and Procedures for Filling Vacancies
• City of South St. Paul Website – Elections Information
• SSP School Board Member Handbook