Politics & Government
School Levies Pass; Richardson, Yarosh, Waters Elected to Board
Bruce Richardson, Jim Yarosh and Karen Waters won the three contested seats on the school board.
Board chair Bruce Richardson, three-term board member Jim Yarosh and newcomer Karen Waters wracked up the most votes for the three open four-year seats during Tuesday's St. Louis Park school board election.
Voters also approved three levies for technology, building additions and classroom operations, which will bring $43.6 million into the district's coffers over the next decade.
Yarosh, whose 3,220 votes placed him first among school board candidates, said he will continue to help keep the city's schools on an upward trajectory and will work toward reducing the achievement gap and integrating technology into classrooms.
He also said he was pleased the referenda each passed with about 75 percent of the vote.
"This just shows a lot about our community, it's a community that cares about education the district," he said. "We have a lot of seniors in this district, and seniors typically vote, so I'm assuming a lot of seniors supported the referenda in this district."
In total, the levies' tax impact for the owner of a $200,000 home will be about $82 per year, though the remortgaging of existing school bonds will reduce St. Louis Park residents’ taxes by about $18.
Richardson, the current board chair, placed third in the election, winning 19 percent of the vote and edging out challengers Jim Beneke and Christine Johnson to keep his seat.
Current school board member Ken Morrison, running unopposed, was elected to a second two-year term.
More information about the school board candidates and the referendum questions is available in our election guide.
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