The candidates—Ke Yang, Katie Swore, Charlotte Nardi, Justin Midah, Nancy Livingston, and Miriam Janich—outlined their backgrounds and priorities during opening statements. Yang, who works in human resources, emphasized school safety, relationships, and academic achievement. Swore, with budgeting experience, highlighted her South St. Paul roots. Nardi, a K-12 teacher from North Woodbury, focused on student safety and support. Midah, a business professional, expressed concern about declining grades and student behavior over the past decade. Livingston, who previously worked in state education policy, and Janich, with expertise in Minnesota Department of Education data, rounded out the field.

School safety emerged as a central concern, with candidates proposing different approaches. Nardi favored physical barriers like double doors and metal detectors, along with social workers instead of armed school resource officers. Midah argued for armed SROs and trained teachers to prevent active shooters, noting that police response times are too slow. Others, including Swore and Livingston, emphasized relationship-building and mental health strategies as preventive measures.

Candidates also discussed how to better recognize academic achievements, which some felt were overshadowed by athletic recognition. Suggestions included board members attending academic events, public awareness campaigns, and daily goal-setting with small rewards for all students. On cell phones in classrooms, candidates largely agreed on restricting use during school hours, with proposals ranging from complete bans to storing phones until day's end.

All candidates agreed that equity—providing individualized support based on student needs—differs from equality. They highlighted the importance of addressing socioeconomic disparities and ensuring all students can participate in school activities. Mental health support was universally recognized as critical, with candidates proposing increased access to social workers, nurses, and counselors, along with staff retention and destigmatization efforts. On social media monitoring, most candidates opposed extensive school administration surveillance, emphasizing parental responsibility instead.