A community member in the Hopkins school district used the public comment period during a recent school board meeting to bring forth evidence that the chair of the school board has violated state statute.
Board chair Shannon Andreson is an employee of the district, and while being on the payroll of Hopkins Public Schools does not automatically disqualify her from serving as chair, conflict-of-interest safeguards appear to have been violated.
Under Minnesota Statute 123B.195, a school board member may be employed by a school district only if “there is a reasonable expectation at the beginning of the fiscal year or at the time the contract is entered into or extended that the amount to be earned by that officer under that contract or employment relationship will not exceed $20,000 in that fiscal year.”
A public data request submitted to the school district by a community member reportedly shows that Chair Andreson’s salary for her non-board position as a paraprofessional in the district exceeded the $20,000 statutory limits in both FY 2024 and FY 2025.
“This is not a one-time oversight. It is a knowing repeat violation for a second consecutive year suggesting a belief that the rules do not fully apply in this case or that any excesses can be overlooked,” testified the community member.
I respectfully urge the board to acknowledge these repeated violations, investigate the circumstances, including any lack of proper approval from the board ahead of time, as dictated by law, and take immediate steps to comply fully with 123B.195. The statute is clear on corrective action needed to fix this problem.
The $20,000 limit established in state statute is “a strict ceiling designed to prevent conflicts of interest, ensuring board members do not have direct financial stake in the district operations that could influence their decisions,” noted the community member.
The board has not yet publicly responded to the allegation and will hopefully address it at its next meeting on March 17. If public institutions expect trust, they must demonstrate that no officeholder stands above the statutes that govern them.
