At the June 23 St. Francis Area Schools Regular School Board Meeting, the board selected Jessica Bakken-Kleven as an interim School Board member. There were five candidates who applied for the position after Andrea Anson resigned, effective June 6, 2025.
Bakken-Kleven will be seated at the July 28 regular board meeting unless residents successfully challenge the appointment through a petitioning process outlined in state law. Bakken-Kleven will hold the position until results of a special election on Nov. 4, 2025 are certified.
To fill the vacancy the district initiated a public application process. The application was made available to interested community members who met the eligibility requirements to serve on the board. Applicants were required to submit their completed materials by the stated deadline to be considered. Five applications were eligible for review at the June 23 meeting.
Board members evaluated each applicant based on their responses to seven questions on the application. The top four scoring applicants were further considered by the full board. After discussion, the board voted to appoint Bakken-Kleven.