The Board of Education is evaluating whether to move annual school board elections from November back to April starting in 2027. To be clear, this November’s election will continue as planned.
Timeline: This has been a topic of conversation at the August and September Board meetings. I have also addressed this topic at the K-8 PTO meetings this fall. The Board will continue the discussion at the October meeting, with possible action taken at the November meeting.
Background: Prior to 2015, Ramsey held elections in April. State legislation in 2012 permitted moving elections to November and removed required budget votes for proposals within the tax cap.
Rationale: The Board is contemplating a move back to April for two key reasons:
Depoliticizing Board Elections: Shifting away from November’s high-stakes political races helps ensure local school governance stays strictly non-partisan and focused solely on Ramsey’s schools.
Better Budget Alignment: An April election aligns cleanly with our fiscal calendar. If structural fiscal pressures ever require a budget vote in the future, an April timeline allows decisions to be made before the fiscal year begins on July 1.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to discuss this topic further or have any questions.