Redistricting of School Board Election Districts

On March 2, 2022, the Charter Commission approved the final election maps

Click here for an interactive web version of the maps

Click here for PDF versions of the maps

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What is redistricting?
Every 10 years after the federal census is completed, federal, state, and local election districts must be reviewed, and if necessary, redrawn to ensure equal representation. This includes the six Minneapolis Board of Education (School Board) election districts, numbered 1 through 6. This redistricting applies only to the election districts of MPS School Board members and does not impact school attendance areas.

What requirements and standards apply to redistricting?
School board election districts must follow several applicable provisions in both state and federal law, including the Federal Voting Rights Act and election-related court cases. State law further requires school board and other local election districts to be "as equal in population as practicable and must be composed of compact, contiguous territory" (Minnesota Statutes Section 205A.12, Subd. 4 and Section 128D.055, Subd. 2).

Since the MPS School Board uses the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) districts, as detailed below, there are several additional provisions and principles considered which are largely found in the Minneapolis City Charter. A summary of these provisions can be found on the City of Minneapolis' document Understanding Redistricting in Minneapolis.

How are the lines drawn?
The MPS School Board uses the same election districts as the MPRB districts as established in Board Policy 8114, for several reasons, including:

1. Legal requirements for the drawing districts are the same
2. Timeline for redistricting is the same
3. An established process in the City Charter for redistricting, which includes the gathering of public input from the same population, already exists
4. Logistical and financial benefits in administering elections (shared polling locations, precincts, and ballot printing)
5. Logistical and financial benefits in not having to conduct a separate redistricting process
6. Consistency and alignment for voters and constituents
7. Currently elected School Board members do not need to be involved in the process of drawing their own district boundaries
8. 2008 Minneapolis voters expressed an implied permission for this approach when they authorized the School Board to move to nine seats, including six districted seats

The Minneapolis Charter Commission is responsible for drawing the MPRB election districts. To assist with this process, the Charter Commission has formed a Redistricting Group.

How can I give feedback?
The Minneapolis Charter Commission and its Redistricting Group have a number of ways to participate in the process including speaking at public meetings, submitting your own maps, and providing written comments. 

What is the timeline?
The Charter Commission intends to approve a final map in early March 2022. By law, the Park Board/School Board districts must be completed by April 26, 2022 (within 80 days of the legislature's redistricting or at least 15 weeks before the state primary, whichever is earlier).

When do new districts go into effect?
Those filing to run in 2022 for MPS School Board district seats 1, 3, and 5 will use the newly adopted district boundaries. The early filing period for these seats will open May 17, 2022. Two at-large (citywide) seats (known as seats B and C), are also on the ballot in 2022, however, these at-large seats are not impacted by redistricting.

All six newly drawn district boundaries go into effect on the day of the state primary election, August 9, 2022.

How does redistricting impact current school board members who are elected from districts?
Minnesota law allows for a currently seated member who is drawn out of the district to which they were elected to complete their term as scheduled. Because the MPS School Board has staggered terms, this could only potentially impact districted seats 2, 4, and 6. If a currently seated Board Member no longer resides within the district after redistricting, they would not be eligible to file for re-election to that seat.

Does this change polling locations for voting?
Once the redistricting process is complete, the process of determining election precincts begins. The MPS School Board contracts with the City of Minneapolis Elections Office to conduct elections and voters can expect to receive updated information about polling locations. Visit vote.minneapolismn.gov for more information on elections.

Will there be a time period when the park and school board districts don't align?
Since the school board and park board are on different election cycles (park board in odd years and school board in even years), there is an unavoidable transition window where the districts will not align.