Two New Faces on Osseo Area School Board, Plus Dawson Walton Returns
This story was updated at 4:38 p.m. on Nov. 6
Votes in the Osseo Area School District elected three new school board members from a field of six candidates on Tuesday.
The top three vote-getters were Erica Foster, Kelsey Dawson and Keith Tate. Foster and Tate are newcomers to school board service. Dawson Walton served previously.
The vote totals are as follows:
- Kelsey Dawson Walton 20%, 28,448 total votes
- Keith Tate 17%, 24,780 total votes
- Erica Foster 22 %, 31,687 total votes
- Tekoa Cochran 12%, 17,613 total votes
- Dawon Bahtuoh 11 %, 15,250 total votes
- Tim Williams 16%, 23,285 total votes
Foster was the top vote-getter of the group. She said when she begins work, she wants to focus on safety, test scores and academic achievement.
“I got invested during COVID, and just started paying attention to what was happening, and realized there was a lot of issues that parents didn’t know about,” Foster said. “I wanted to be a parent representative, and I think that’s what people voted on.”
Keith Tate is a newcomer who secured an Education Minnesota endorsement alongside Kelsey Dawson. Tekoa Cochran also received an endorsement. Tate told CCX he looks forward to working with the district on implementing the READ Act and a financial literacy curriculum.
“Really looking forward to kind of getting those things implemented,” Tate said. “And talking to the teachers, parents and students and finding out what we can do to help.”
The third new board member is Dawson, who previously served on the board as its chair. She said she’s excited to work on the district’s strategic plan and meet the needs of all students.
“I want each and every one of our students to feel safe, seen, heard and valued. To be able to just unleash their brilliance on the world,” Dawson said.
The two new faces and one former board member will replace current Osseo Area School Board members Jacquelene Mosqueda-Jones, Heather Douglass and Tamara Grady, none of whom filed for re-election.
The Osseo School District is the fifth largest school district in the state. It serves all or portions of eight cities, including Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Osseo, Plymouth, Brooklyn Center, Corcoran, Dayton and Rogers.
Also See: Osseo School Board Rejects Ban of Book in 4-2 Vote
