UPDATED Election Guide – 2018 Board Candidate Q&A, Forum Resources

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who participated in our candidate forum on September 30! Please share this page so others can refer to the candidates’ responses to our questionnaire and review these voter resources, forum videos, etc., as they make their ballot decisions before Election Day on TUES 11/6.

See the next section below for candidate responses to the St. Croix Valley Gifted questionnaire. Question #6 shows candidate stances on availability and necessity of GT supports. You also will find their campaign websites, social media pages, and links to additional candidate Q&A as it becomes available.

There are four open school board seats during this election cycle. All seven candidates have RSVP’d with plans to attend and participate.

Candidate Questionnaire Responses

Each candidate received our advance questionnaire. Their written responses are posted at the links below. ELL? We encourage registered voters who speak English as a second language to use Google Translate on our site to help you read candidate answers.

Mark Burns	Shelley Pearson
Matthew Cooper	Tina Riehle
Jon Fila	Liz Weisberg
Donald Hovland

Minnesota Voter Information

Election Day 2016 is Tuesday, November 6. Early voting continues in Minnesota through Monday, November 5.

• Where is your Election Day polling location? – pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us
• Are you registered to vote in Minnesota? – mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us/VoterStatus.aspx
• How can you vote early or vote absentee in Minnesota? – www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/other-ways-to-vote or watch the video below
• Where can Washington County residents cast an early vote in person?
  • Cottage Grove Service Center, 13000 Ravine Parkway S, Cottage Grove
  • Headwaters Service Center, 19955 Forest Rd N, Forest Lake
  • Woodbury Service Center, 2150 Radio Drive, Woodbury
  • Washington County Government Center, 14949 – 62nd St N, Stillwater

Other Resources: Views, Videos & District Fact Check

Local Coverage of Candidate Views

St. Croix Valley Gifted will update regularly as new press coverage and related materials for the Stillwater School Board candidates become available.

• NEW! Pioneer Press elections overview of 2018 candidates
• The White Bear Lake Area League of Women Voters hosted a candidate forum on September 24 at Oak Park Heights City Hall; video is available here:

• The St. Croix Valley Branch of American Association of University Women (AAUW) and Lake Elmo Elementary PTA hosted a candidate forum on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at Oak-Land Middle School.

• The Stillwater Gazette sponsored a school board candidate forum, hosted by Margot Rheinberger, on Wednesday, Oct. 24 from 7 to 8:30 pm at Stillwater Middle School.

• The Stillwater School Board invited all local candidates for open MN House seats that overlap with the school district to their board business meeting on Thursday, Oct. 25. Candidates were asked to respond to three questions regarding collaboration with the school board; public school financing, including the Special Education cross-subsidy; and support for Mental Health and School Safety initiatives. Video is available at the School District website under Board Meeting Materials.

District Fact Check Resources

• Executive Summary to School Board: Finance, Facility, Enrollment and Demographics Overview, as presented September 27, 2018 (starts on page 17) — contains class size data, population demographic projections, use of district facilities and related considerations
• Board may revisit past decisions, but our recommendations remain unchanged, Talk of the District with Superintendent Pontrelli
  August 30, 2018