In conjunction with the Nov. 4 general election, the Falls School Board Monday agreed to hold a special election asking voters if they favor an odd-numbered board.
On a 3-2 vote, the board agreed to place on the ballot a question asking voters if they favored upping membership from a six to a seven-member board. Gordon Dault and Darrell Wagner voted against the motion. Willi Kostiuk was absent from the meeting.
“I still think it should go down to five (members),” Wagner said.
Dault said he agreed, however, in June he looked into the possibility and found the need for legislation, that could stand as a roadblock to any action.
The question on the ballot will ask voters if the board should consist of seven members. If approved, it would go into effect during the 2016 general election.
Dault pointed out, however, during this election there are three vacancies on the board and only one person, Tom Holt, has filed for a position.
“We’ve only got one person running,” Wagner said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
The main reasoning behind moving to an odd-numbered board, according to members, is to avoid a split vote in the future.
“I haven’t been on (the board) before when we haven’t had enough candidates,” member Michelle Hebner said. “But, I support an odd-numbered board...I think we let the public decide.”
“But,” Wagner said, “if a vote is tied, it’s a failed motion.”
Member Mike Holden said that makes for “wasted time.”
“If we have an odd number, we’ll clear (decisions) at that time, during that meeting,” he said. “Let the public decide.”
But what will happen during this election when the board hasn’t attracted enough candidates to fill vacant seats?
According to Bob Lowe, director of management services for the Minnesota School Board Association, the same issue is popping up in other districts across the state.
“The election will still be held,” he said.
Typically, the person who filed will be elected and the remaining seats could be filled through a write-in vote, Lowe said. Then, he said, if there are winners of a write-in vote, they will be given the opportunity to accept or reject the seat.
“With three vacancies, the people with the three highest number of votes wins,” he said. “However, if there is a fourth person in line, they won’t be elected if a write-in candidate rejects the seat.”
In other words, if a write-in rejects an open seat, the board will be given the power to appoint someone to fill the position. That process, Lowe explained, is ambiguous and MSBA laws don’t specify a process the board will need to use to fill the appointment.
Meanwhile Monday, Falls High School Principal Tim Everson reported enrollment is at 546 students, including the sixth graders at West End Elementary.
“I don’t have the numbers from last year so I can’t tell you where we’ve gone as far as adding the sixth grade in to the high school,” he said. “We are up 16 students from June in the 10th grade.”
Both the high school and Falls Elementary have struggled with declining enrollment during the past year, and Everson said having some grade levels experience and increase in students is “promising.”
Falls Elementary Principal Melissa Tate was not at Monday’s meeting to report elementary enrollment figures.
Everson said he is looking forward to the school year and implementing the Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports, or PBIS, program meant to address behavior issues in a positive way.
“We’ve got a really strong team of teachers preparing,” he said.
The program kicked off at the elementary level last year, and according to officials, was successful and will continue this year.
