Four Rochester School Board Seats Go to At-Large Winners
Rochester parents will see four four-year board members chosen citywide, with Ana Folpe newly elected to the board.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Administration
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Four candidates won seats on the Rochester School Board in the November 3, 2026 midterm election: incumbents Cathy Nathan, Jean Marvin, and Justin Cook, plus newcomer Ana Folpe. Each winner will serve a four-year term.
Why it matters
The board switched from a seven-seat alley system, where candidates competed only against others running for the same seat, to a purely at-large system in which every candidate ran against every other and the top four vote-getters won. Karen MacLaughlin, who won the Olmsted County attorney race with 52% of the vote, cannot hold two elected positions at once and will leave the school board, which is why her seat is part of the shift.
Nathan received 16.51% of the vote, Marvin 15.54%, Cook 14.83%, and Folpe 14.77%, with all four endorsed by the Rochester Education Association. Each winner will serve a four-year term, and MacLaughlin's 52% county attorney win means she will leave the school board.
The players
Cathy Nathan
Incumbent Rochester School Board member who won re-election with 16.51% of the at-large vote.
Jean Marvin
Incumbent Rochester School Board member who won re-election with 15.54% of the at-large vote.
Justin Cook
Incumbent Rochester School Board member who won re-election with 14.83% of the at-large vote.
Ana Folpe
Newcomer who won a Rochester School Board seat with 14.77% of the at-large vote.
Karen MacLaughlin
Won the Olmsted County attorney election with 52% of the vote and will leave the school board.
The details
All candidates ran against all other candidates in a purely at-large system, and the four candidates with the most votes won seats. Previously, the board was divided into seven seats and candidates competed only against others running for the same seat under the alley system. Because the vote was at-large, the results depend on overall totals rather than district-by-district contests. MacLaughlin's county attorney victory forces her off the board because she cannot hold two elected positions at the same time.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: Midterm election held and school board and county attorney votes counted.
Four-year term: Newly seated school board members serve four years.
The Home Front
The change moves Rochester's school board from district-style seat contests to a citywide at-large vote, a shift that affects how local families and neighborhoods are represented on school decisions. It is a local governance change rather than a housing-market or ownership-cost development.
If your household is in Rochester and has children in the district, check the Rochester School Board's published meeting schedule to see how the new members take their seats. Families who want to weigh in on school decisions can attend public meetings and contact board members directly.
The takeaway
The move to at-large voting means every Rochester voter's ballot now bears on all four seats, not just one district's. Keep the names of the four new members handy so you can reach the board on the school issues that matter most to your household.
Further reading
For more on how school districts are run, browse our Administration coverage of local education governance.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rochester Post Bulletin.
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