MANKATO, Minn. — A Mankato Democrat says she will retire from the Legislature when her term ends this year.

Rep. Kathy Brynaert's district includes Eagle Lake and most of Mankato. The 69-year-old Brynaert has represented the district since 2006. And, as a former Mankato Area School Board member, education has been her strongest focus in the Legislature.

Last year, she helped eliminate the requirement that high school students pass a test to graduate. Though some argued it lowered the value of a high school education, Brynaert said the Legislature replaced it with testing that did a better job helping students move into a college or career.

District chairman Jim Fleming tells The Free Press (http://bit.ly/1hUsQZE ) Democrats are planning to endorse a candidate at the May 17 district convention.