Should the Board of Directors for Albert Lea Area Schools have a seventh member?

We don’t have a stance one way or another presently, but considering a tie that occurred earlier this month and the failure to garner a quorum last week — and regardless of viewpoints about the calendar issue per se — we do feel it is an idea that district residents, leaders, faculty and staff might consider and discuss time to time over the next couple of years.

State law sets up school boards to have six members. That’s probably why Albert Lea has six — because it always has had six. However, the same law allows school boards to ask the public on the ballot of an election whether they should have a seventh member henceforth.

Whether six or seven, both structures would need four votes to pass measures.

Most Minnesota school boards have seven members. According to the Minnesota School Boards Association, 55 percent have seven, and 45 percent have six.

Two reasons sometimes cited for going to seven is for the sake of breaking ties and a greater likelihood of having a quorum. A reason sometimes cited for staying at six is not enough interest in running for the school board.

Albert Lea had noncompetitive school elections four and six years ago but had quite competitive elections this year and two years ago — a good sign of increased community interest.

Some big districts have six and some small ones have seven, but, typically, the bigger districts have seven and the smaller ones have six. In Minnesota, the average size of districts with seven board members is 2,822 pupils, according to the MSBA. The average size of districts with six board members is 1,738.

Albert Lea has an enrollment of 3,376 pupils.

It might be a good idea to have seven because, it seems, larger districts like ours tend to have seven. We would be on the same page. However, as a community, residents might conclude it makes little difference in the end. Four votes is four votes.

Either way, we know the notion already has been talked about among some locals here and there this week. It will be interesting to see if the idea goes anywhere. It’s the dialogue that is important, and we hope it is discussed further.