Long, Hammerseng, Lincoln and Bailey Elected to Robbinsdale School Board

Caroline Long, Kath Hammerseng, Anthony Lincoln, and Madalyn Bailey secured the top four seats on the Robbinsdale Area Schools Board of Education following the November 3 election, ccxmedia.org reported. Voters weighed in on a crowded seven-candidate field that included four incumbents, reshaping a district facing deep financial and structural changes.

Long led the pack, capturing 17.1 percent of the vote with 17,906 ballots cast in her favor. Hammerseng followed closely behind in second place with 16.3 percent, totaling 17,054 votes. Lincoln secured third place with 15.5 percent, and Bailey took fourth with 15.0 percent, according to unofficial results.

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How the Rest of the Field Landed

Just 259 votes separated Bailey from fifth-place finisher DJ Brynteson, who collected 14.7 percent of the vote. Kenneth Wutoh finished sixth with 11.3 percent, while ReNae Bowman—who suspended her campaign earlier in the year due to her husband’s health—rounded out the field with 9.5 percent.

The stakes for the incoming board members are immediate and heavy. The election coincided with a critical decision by district voters, who approved two out of three questions on a massive $413 million bond referendum. Electorates gave the green light for the district to consolidate into a single unified high school campus and reconfigure its middle schools, though they rejected a proposal to build a new elementary school.

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Those facility decisions arrive as the district works to stabilize its footing after facing declining enrollment, deep financial hurdles, and a $20 million accounting error that previously forced school closures and the layoffs of roughly 200 employees. Superintendent Teri Staloch described the situation before the election as a critical crossroads, emphasizing that the bond referendum offers a predictable, intentional path forward by eliminating underutilized spaces. By rightsizing our facilities, we can stop spending money on underutilized, ineffective, and inefficient spaces and invest directly in the programs and learning spaces our students want, need, and deserve, Staloch said. Kevin Miller and Corey Bork contributed to this report.

Attend Robbinsdale Area Schools Board Meetings in New Hope

For community members looking to engage with the newly configured board, Robbinsdale Area Schools maintains structured protocols for public participation. According to district documentation on rdale.org, Business Meetings, Study Sessions, and Listening Times are hosted at the Education Service Center chambers in New Hope, located at 4148 Winnetka Ave. N. Listening Time typically begins at 6 p.m. on the first Business Meeting of most months, offering residents up to three minutes to address the board directly on district matters.

Standing in aisles or against walls is not permitted, and overflow rooms are available when attendance exceeds capacity.

The district provides Spanish and Somali interpreter services upon request, with arrangements handled through Language Services at 763-504-8082.

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