By Lori Ehde
Filing periods for area school districts closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday. School board candidate names will appear on general ballots this fall in their respective districts.
Ellsworth will see the most interesting race with nine candidates filing for four open seats on the six-person board.
That list includes Kelly Kramer, Korey Meester, Layton Gruis, Verlyn Timmer, Lynn DeBerg, Rhonda Groen, Dave Goedken, Don Kramer and Jody Hinrichs.
Timmer, Hinrichs and Kelly Kramer have filed for the one open two-year term. The rest filed for the three open four-year terms.
None of the incumbents, Dan Boltjes, Arnie Timmer, Brenda Deutsch and Jeff Deutsch, have filed for re-election.
Cliff Schilling, who has served on the Ellsworth School Board for nearly 20 years, said so many candidates filed because departing board members announced their decisions early and encouraged others to run.
"It's wonderful to see that many people interested in serving on the board," said Schilling, whose seat is not up for election this year.
"There aren't any major issues in the district; it's just that the ones leaving have their kids through school now and have decided to let someone else take a turn."
Board member Jeff Boltjes holds the other seat not up for election this year.
In Adrian, eight candidates are vying for four open seats on the board. They are all four-year terms.
Incumbents Gene Metz and Joe Wieneke have filed for re-election, and they are joined by challengers Pat Thier, Joan Pater, Tim Honermann, Kate McCann, Mark Bullerman and Pamela Konz.
Board members Dennis Kruger and Brenda Sailor did not file for re-election.
Current board members whose terms are up in 2004 are Mark Lonneman, Ted Reisdorfer and Aileen Tweet.
In Luverne, eight candidates are seeking election to four open seats on the board. They are all four-year terms.
Incumbents Dan Kopp, Becky Walgrave, Cary Radisewitz and Bill Stegemann filed for re-election. They're joined by challengers Tim Burns, Bruce Baartman, Colleen Nath and Greg Aubert.
Luverne board members Don Bryan, Colleen Deutsch and Steve Tofteland are not up for election this year.
The Hills-Beaver Creek School District conducts its board elections in odd years - not concurrent with general elections. The next election for that board will be in the fall of 2003.