Filing begins July 30 for ISD 279 School Board

The filing period for three school board seats up for election this fall in Osseo Area Schools begins July 30 and runs through August 13.

Three seats will be filled by a general election because the members’ terms are expiring; those seats are currently held by Heather Douglass, Jackie Mosqueda-Jones, and Tamara Grady. Board members chosen in the general election will take office in January 2025 and service until January 2029.

Where to File
Candidates file at the Educational Service Center, 11200 93rd Ave. N., Maple Grove, MN. 

When and How to File
Affidavits of Candidacy must be submitted during the filing period: July 30-August 13, 2024. The Educational Service Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office will remain open until 5 p.m. on the final day of filing (Tuesday, August 13).
 
An electronic copy of the Affidavit of Candidacy can be accessed on the Secretary of State website, (please download, complete, and print). Paper copies are available from the election clerk. 
It is requested that candidates contact Election Clerk Sherri Lincoln at 763-391-7003 or lincolns@district279.org to confirm a date and time to complete the candidate filing process. Affidavits must be notarized; staff at the Educational Service Center are available to provide that service.

At the time of filing, school board candidates must provide photo ID and address verification and pay a $2 filing fee. A candidate for this office must:
•    be an eligible voter,
•    be 21 years of age or older upon assuming office
•    have been a resident of the school district from which they seek election for 30 days before the general election, and
•    have no other affidavit on file for any other office at the same election.

Candidate Affidavit of Withdrawal
If after filing you decide you no longer wish to run for office, you must file an Affidavit of Withdrawal no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 15. The names of all candidates who do not file an Affidavit of Withdrawal before the deadline will appear on the ballot.

Candidate Affidavits and Documents
All ISD 279 candidate filings will appear on the Secretary of State’s Candidate Filing page. Candidate affidavits are posted as they are received, generally no later than two days after they have been filed with the election clerk. 

Candidate financial documents will appear on the district’s website when they are submitted to the election clerk.

Candidate Information Packet
A candidate filing packet, including the Affidavit of Candidacy and other relevant information about running for school board, may be obtained now through the candidate filing period from the Osseo Area Schools Educational Service Center during regular office hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). 

More Information
Questions? Please call Sherri Lincoln, School Board Election Clerk at 763-391-7003, or email lincolns@district279.org
Minnesota Secretary of State
Hennepin County Elections
Minnesota School Boards Association Running for School Board Brochure 
Minnesota School Boards Association Legal Requirements for School Board Members
ISD 279 Osseo Area Schools Candidate Filing Information