Ten school board candidates for June election

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - There are more candidates than usual in some races this election cycle.

Ten might seem like a lot of candidates for three School Board spots, and historically speaking, that’s because it is. In the past twelve years, only one other time has there been this many candidates. Beyond that, only Jon Lee is an incumbent, which means the other nine candidates would be fresh faces on the board.

It’s that time of year again: political yard signs are cropping up around Bismarck. And many of those signs are in support of lots of different School Board candidates, which has some city leaders optimistic about the future.

“I think it’s exciting. I think it’s a good thing for our community that we have so many people that want to get involved and want to serve in what I consider to be a servant-leadership role,” said Dan Eastgate, a School Board member whose first term ends in 2024.

Several candidates have expressed their concern with a shortage of teachers, which Dan Eastgate said is one of many issues facing the School Board.

“We have things about curriculum, we have testing, how do we take care of teachers? Obviously, health. But there are a number of those factors that play into what I think should be important to a candidate,” said Eastgate.

As for the number of candidates this year, Eastgate believes it has a lot to do with the growth of Bismarck.

“We have more and more schools, we have more and more students, so we have more parents. We have more people getting involved and knowing what’s going on with their kids. And I think we have a lot of people in town who obviously care about their students, they care about our educators. So, I think it all leads to having more candidates, and I think it’s a great thing,” said Eastgate.

Candidates serve four-year terms on the Bismarck School Board. The election is on June 14th.

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