School Board

Requirements of school board members are set by local law and school policy. Requirements of members include:

• Attendance at monthly meetings
• Participation in district committees and community group assignments
• Employ and evaluate the superintendent
• Establish district policies and help guide strategic plans
• Review and approve the annual district budget
• Ratify employee contracts
• Adhere to the Minnesota Open Meeting Law
• Inform the public

Elections for school board members are held during the general elections each November. Elected members begin their four-year terms on the first Monday in January following the election.

The school board makes committee appointments in July and January. Some committees follow the school year, with terms ending on June 30.

If a vacancy occurs in the middle of a term, the school board names an appointee to serve until the next district election.

School board members welcome questions and conversations about district governance. They participate in many areas of the community, including advisory councils, committees, and school or community events; board members welcome invitations to your events and will make an effort to attend.

You can reach the board in several ways:

• Email. To contact the entire board, email schoolboard@edinaschools.org. All members will receive your message.
• Phone. For complex or sensitive topics, a phone call or face-to-face meeting may be most effective.
• Personal Meetings. To meet with an individual board member, contact them directly to arrange a meeting.
• Public Meetings. The board meets at least monthly, providing opportunities for public input.

The Edina School Board welcomes comments from members of the public during regular board meetings. Public comment takes place during the section labeled “Hearings from Members of the Public” on each meeting’s agenda. Copies of the agenda are available in the boardroom or from the board secretary in advance of the meetings.

Requirements

• Review the Protocols for Public Comment to ensure your participation follows board guidelines.
• Submit a Request to Address the Board using the online form by 5 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
• Requests may also be submitted in person before the meeting by completing and printing this form and giving it to the board secretary (seated to the right of the board).

Only fully completed requests will be eligible for public comment. The board secretary will notify the board chair of requests received.

During the Meeting

• Each speaker is limited to three minutes.
• The public comment period will generally include up to fifteen speakers unless extended by a board motion.
• If more than fifteen requests are submitted, priority is given in this order:
  1. Edina Public Schools students
  2. Parents/guardians of students attending the district
  3. District residents
  4. District employees
  5. Others wishing to address a specific agenda item

Rules and Considerations

• All public participation must comply with School Board Policy 206 and applicable data privacy rules.
• Complaints about individual board members, employees, or students must be submitted in writing in accordance with policy.
• The board chair may terminate remarks that violate policy.
• There will be no discussion by the board during the public comment period.
• Questions raised will be addressed after the meeting, as directed by the board.

Edina Public Schools uses BoardBook to share school board agendas and meeting minutes.

Learn More

Members of the public can receive email notifications for non-regularly scheduled Edina School Board meetings by completing the form below.

Meeting Notification Form

The Minnesota Open Meeting Law ensures that public bodies like the Edina School Board conduct their business openly and transparently. It requires that meetings of the board be accessible to the public, and that decisions affecting the community are made in a way that allows citizens to stay informed and engaged.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has identified three main purposes of the law:

• Prevent decisions from being made in secret meetings, ensuring the public can stay fully informed and detect any improper influences.
• Guarantee the public’s right to be informed.
• Provide opportunities for the public to share their views with the board.

In practice, this means that the Edina School Board schedules meetings that are open to the public, posts agendas, keeps detailed minutes of discussions and actions, and allows for public comment at designated times. By following the Open Meeting Law, the board maintains transparency, accountability, and trust with the community it serves.