by Joni Astrup

Associate Editor

As members of the Elk River High School Class of 2016 settle into college this fall, Bailey Albert is not among them.

She is taking a year off to participate in the Young Daniel program through Tentmakers, a Christian ministry headquartered in Chanhassen. The program started Aug. 14 and culminates next summer with a 30-day international mission trip.

“One of the main ways I look at it is a gap year,” Albert said. “I know that I will be going to college afterwards.”

It has long been a tradition for high school graduates in Europe to spend a “gap year” traveling the world and volunteering before college, according to U.S. News and World Report. Now this practice is becoming more popular and accepted in the United States.

“I feel like it’s the best way to figure out what you want to do with your life,” Albert said.

The American Gap Association doesn’t know exactly how many U.S. students take a gap year each year, but indicated that interest is growing.

Gap years can be a time of personal insight, an exploration of future careers, or simply a way to recharge in a meaningful way, according to the American Gap Association.

Typically the two most commonly cited reasons for taking a gap year are a desire for increased self-awareness and to address academic burnout, according to the association.

Ninety percent of students who took a gap year returned to college within a year, the association reported.

Albert has already been accepted at North Central University in Minneapolis and said she plans to go to college in the fall of 2017.

Former Elk River Mayor Stephanie Klinzing, Albert’s grandmother, said the “gap year” can be valuable for students to find out more about themselves and their interests before being swept into a particular college or area of study and life-long career.

“It’s really wonderful,” Klinzing said. “We’re just excited for her.”

Albert heard about the Young Daniel program through her youth pastor, Sean Nelson at Christ Church in Otsego. Albert is interested in college ministry and likes the leadership training aspect of the Young Daniel program. She sees it as a way to clarify her plans for the future while helping others.

The first 40 days of the program are spent at Wilderness North, a Tentmakers retreat, conference and training center north of Duluth, where Albert is going through leadership and instructor training in a wilderness setting. She then will spend the next nine months working at a job and doing ministry work. The next 30 days will be spent on the international mission trip. The previous group of Young Daniel participants went to the Czech Republic, according to Mark Eliason, an instructor with Tentmakers.

Eliason said the Young Daniel program trains participants who are then put in positions to use those skills.

“It gives them a chance to develop confidence and gives them experiences to discover who they are and the strengths that they possess and how God might be leading them,” he said.

Asked what she hopes comes from her year with the Young Daniel program, Albert said, “I really do love the aspect of being able to figure out what exactly I want to be doing with what God has given me and being able to figure out what it really means to live as an adult in today’s society.”

She said she doesn’t know exactly how that will play out but is excited to see what happens.

by Jim Boyle
Editor
The Elk River Area School District’s interim superintendent almost never applied for the job.
Bruce Watkins hadn’t been looking and wasn’t even aware of the opening until a colleague, a former Sauk Rapids superintendent, mentioned it while the two educators were catching up over coffee. The man told Watkins he was surprised he hadn’t applied for “Elk River.”

School bells and train whistles must have started going off for Watkins, a St. Cloud man and former St. Cloud Public Schools superintendent and district administrator with Duluth Public Schools who has flirted with retirement but found it tough stay away from the business of education he has been in for 40-plus years. Plus, Elk River is just a 40-minute commute from his home.
After leaving the coffee shop, Watkins emailed Ken Dragseth, who he learned was leading the search, to see if he was too late. The listing for the interim superintendency was closing later that day. Watkins got busy on a cover letter, dug out a resume and letters of recommendation from his last successful job search, along with his licensing and transcript, and fired them off to Dragseth and his consulting firm School Exec Connect, Inc.
He interviewed a day and half later.
“I felt like long shot,” Watkins said.
But partway through his interview, he got a good feeling.
“The questions (the board members) were asking were the ones St. Cloud would want to know,” he said. “They were the ones Duluth would want to know. They were the ones Elk River wanted to know.”

Start in education
Watkins got his start in education in 1972 as a teacher of debate, theater and English at Proctor High School. He went on to become the principal there in 1978, a post he held for 21 years. Some of connections he made were with area administrators through professional development activities, cooperatives and athletics. He was offered an assistant superintendent position in Duluth by Julio Almanza. He became the director of operations from 1999 to 2004. It was perfect. He and his wife’s youngest child was senior in high school and he would soon be an empty nester.
“I kind of enjoyed the steep learning curve of three high schools, four middle school and at that time probably 12 elementary schools,” Watkins said.
Proctor had a mix of affluent lake regions and a farming community hampered by poor soils. The city of Proctor was built around the Duluth Mesabi and Iron Range Railroad, and when things went sour for iron, even with the revival of taconite, the city struggled to stay stable, Watkins said.
“There were different demographics for different regions of the area,” Watkins said.
The same was true for Duluth Public Schools that stretched 15 miles south, 15 miles east and up the North Shore.
“I think that may have been one of the attractors to St. Cloud,” Watkins said. “They were looking for multi-high school representation. There’s lots of similarities working at a place with seven municipalities.”
Watkins was hired in St. Cloud in 2004 and worked there until his first retirement in 2008. He was asked to come back in 2010 after his replacement, Steve Jordahl resigned. Watkins agreed to serve as an interim, but it ended up being a three-year stint.
He started in July of 2010 and had to complete a budget, staff for the school year and open the schools. It donned on him partway through the school year, the board hadn’t initiated a search. Watkins would be asked to stay on twice for another year, and even directed a successful referendum for a K-8 school in St. Joseph.
The St. Cloud School Board conducted a successful search in 2013 and hired Willie Jett, who remains as the leader of District 742 Schools.
Watkins reverted back to Watkins Consulting business. Among his gigs were helping with the hiring of a watershed director for Northfork Crow River Watershed District out of the Brooten Belgrade Paynesville area. He also did a stint as a city administrator for Foley, where he helped find a permanent replacement and dealt with some human resource issues at the management level. Watkins also helped with the search for the new police chief for the city of St. Cloud.
In addition to consulting, Watkins continued to help with teacher negotiations for St. Cloud.
“I had established very reasonable work relationships,” Watkins said. “It had been contentious for the district for the while.”
In 2014 Charlie Kyte, the executive director for the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, told him of a high-performing charter in St. Paul called Nova Classical Academy that needed an executive director. He went there for a yearlong stint followed by six months leading a teacher evaluation project for the St. Paul Conservatory of the Performing Artists.
He finished that in May of this year and decided to live the life of a retiree, spending time with his children and grandchildren, golfing and out at the lake.
“I got to do that May, June and July and the first part of August,” he said. “I had this wonderful summer.”
But he wants to do more.
“I’m blessed with good energy, and I want to work,” Watkins said.
Watkins started on Aug. 8 and his contract extends through June 30, 2017. His salary is $192,000. The Elk River Area School Board plans to find a permanent replacement in 2017 with the help of new board members who will be elected in November.
The Elk River Area School District superintendency is a plum job, he said.
“Previous boards, the current board, previous administrations and the current team certainly have taken steps to position Elk River nicely with the $98 million referendum — supporting it with an operating levy,” Watkins said. “It has been very well done.”
Watkins told School Board members in his interview that he doesn’t see Elk River as a fix-and-repair job.
“I think you’re a ‘maintain and advance.’ I don’t like to stress ‘maintain,’ because I don’t want you to lose a year of continuous improvement and progress. I would want to advance your priorities and initiatives.”
Watkins said growing districts have their own set of problems, one them generally is not basic foundation aid because there’s usually an increasing amount.
“It’s always overhead and facilities,” he said. “That certainly holds true here.”
Challenges in St. Cloud included working with a refugee population whose customs did not include the practice of a written language. Emphasis was placed on verbal skills, with the highly verbal youth viewed more favorably academically. Reading was not considered emulating adulthood, Watkins said.
Those students were exempt from testing for one year, but afterward their scores were counted among the masses.
In Duluth, challenges dealt a tremendous need to reduce the number of buildings built with the idea of community schools.
Watkins entered Elk River in the midst of ongoing construction projects thanks to a successful $98 million bond referendum. He has been getting familiar with those projects, some more intimately than others, as rain damaged Elk River School, wind took down scaffolding at Rogers High School and rain has slowed work on a K-8 facility planned in Otsego.
Meanwhile, he is getting up to speed on the work of TeamWorks International, a consulting firm, on developing a facilities plan that will help deal with what to do when buildings become crowded and boundary lines changes. A committee of 40-plus community members and District 728 staff has been assembled to help do this work.
Watkins has learned the district has a consultant working on a review of existing practices, delivery systems and expenses.
He held the welcome back program for District 728 teachers and staff earlier this week at Rogers High School.
He’s also delving into the work of the district on energy conservation efforts to better manage energy consumption.
Additionally, Watkins has met with the new St. Michael-Albertville superintendent to talk about common issues and the Elk River city administrator to learn about Elk River’s fall referendum and to talk how the district and city can partner.
The 2016-2017 school year starts on Tuesday.

by Jim Boyle
ECM Publishers
The start of the 2016-17 school year on Tuesday comes with special instructions, including having some students on an A- and B-day schedule that hearkens students and families back to kindergarten days.
There’s also a flow chart on traffic movement for before and after school.
An Aug. 10 rain storm damaged Elk River High School, which is being expanded and remodeled, and the A-wing is not expected to be cleared for students until Monday, Sept. 19.
To get 1,700 students in the B- and C-wings for classes while construction is going on, a schedule of A days and B days has been developed.
After several meetings with school staff, District 728 leadership, representatives of the Elk River Police Department, food service and members of the city of Elk River, the alternate A-B schedule was determined to be the best option.
“This option keeps safety and learning as our top priorities, and it also allows for a variety of instructional delivery methods to continue for our students,” Elk River High School Principal Terry Bizal said.
The option is a combination of face-to-face learning and flexible learning days for the first nine days of school, Bizal stated in a message to parents and students.
Students in grades nine and 12 will attend school on A days, with their flexible learning days occurring on B days at home. Students in grades 10 and 11 will attend school on B days, with their flexible learning days on A days at home. More information is available at http://www.isd728.org/ElkRiverHigh.

Transportation, parking plan laid out
The district worked with the city of Elk River and the Elk River Police Department to develop a transportation and parking plan for students, parents, staff and bus drivers for the first two weeks of school this fall.
Here it is below.

Morning drop-off
Students driven to school in the morning will be dropped off by Door I, which is on the south side of Elk River High School. There will be a designated drop-off lane on School Street running about 900 feet from Jackson Avenue Northwest to the western edge of the high school. This will be in the westbound lane nearest to the high school.
•Drivers from the south can access the drop-off lane by turning left from Jackson onto School Street westbound lane
•Drivers from the north can access the drop-off lane with a right turn onto School Street from Jackson Avenue.
•Drivers from the east, heading west, will enter into the drop-off lane after passing through the Jackson Avenue intersection. This will be marked.
•Eastbound drivers (coming from the west) will not be able to access the drop-off area. Instead, enter the high school parking lot at the stop light (Lions Park Drive) and drop students off in the student parking lot. Kids will then walk from the parking lot over to Door I via a marked path. Staff will be on hand to assist students.
Morning drivers
Students who drive in the morning must park in the west lot (between ERHS and VandenBerge Middle School) and must enter the lot at Lions Drive traffic signal. You will then walk from your car to Door I via the marked path. Students cannot park in the north lot. You will be asked to move your car immediately. This is the bus area only.

Morning bus riders
Those transported by Vision Transportation buses in the morning will be dropped off at Door H.
Note: Parents or students attempting to drop off at Door H in the morning will be asked to immediately exit the north parking lot and use the drop-off lane. Elk River Police and ERHS staff will be on hand to monitor this situation.

After-school pick-up
All students who were dropped off via the drop lane by Door I will be picked up at a new pick-up point, the Crossing Church parking lot, which is south of the high school (across the street) and accessible via Jackson Avenue Northwest.
Note: You will not use the morning drop-off lane for after school. The lane will be shut down and closed to traffic.
Students will be guided, via staff and crossing guards, to the Crossing Church in groups after school. Students will then wait in a designated area near the church’s parking lot as cars loop through for after-school pick up.

Afternoon drivers
Those who drove to school in the morning will be able to leave via all exits of the parking lot. The old drop-off lane in front of the school is, of course, closed off. Students will exit Door I and walk to their cars via the same path they entered the school.

After-school bus riders
Those transported by Vision Transportation buses in the afternoon will board buses at Door H immediately after school. No parent pick-ups will be allowed at Door H. Staff and ERPD will be on hand to monitor this situation.

Pick-up or drop-off during the school day
All pick-ups and drop-offs during school hours can be done at Door H. Check in at the Main Office.

District 728 educators welcomed back with reminder of the power of their words to youth

by Nate Gotlieb
Contributing Writer
Elk River Area School District staff on Tuesday received a lighthearted reminder on the power of their words.
Motivational speaker Dave Weber implored Elk River Area School District staff to pay attention to what they say and how they say it. The energetic Weber bounced around the stage in the Rogers High School gym, where about 1,700 Elk River Area School District staff were in attendance.

Weber’s speech was part of the district’s annual kick-off event for staff. Interim Superintendent Bruce Watkins reminded the staff of their impact they have before Weber’s speech, reminding them that they will be role models to students across the district.
“I don’t think it’s an easy job to be a person of impact,” he said. “We are given emerging and high-potential human beings waiting for people like you to mold their lives.”
Parents send their students to school in an unfinished state, he said, and the teachers and staff are the ones who mold the students toward becoming a finishing product.
“You are the master crafts people that our parents trust and need, sometimes more than they realize,” he said.
Elk River Assistant Superintendent Jana Hennen-Burr ran through the district’s MCA results, noting that the district ranked in the top 10 percent in reading and the top 15 percent in math and science out of 331 districts in the state. It also ranked No. 1 in math and No. 3 in reading and science of the 10 largest districts in Minnesota.
“You make the students feel like family,” she told the teachers. “It’s about relationships. It’s about people. It’s about sharing space with each other.”
That was a theme Weber carried over into his speech. He noted research that said relationships among staff are the most powerful predictors of student achievement. He said words are a key part of either building or eroding those relationships, noting an example in his own home.

Weber recalled a time growing up when his dad asked his mom to refill his coffee in a condescending way, which sparked resentment in their relationship. His dad asked in a more polite way the next time, which his mom appreciated.
The experience showed him the power words can have to build relationships, Weber said.
Teachers and staff in attendance appeared to take away the same message. Julie Burkland, who works on the lunch staff at Westwood Elementary School, said the presentation got her excited for the school year and that she’s looking forward to seeing the students again.
Jenni Herzog, a kindergarten teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, has four kids in the district. She said she’s glad to know that her kids’ teachers heard the message.
“The district’s going in a good direction,” she said. “I really like the focus on relationships and school culture.”
Rogers Elementary School kindergarten teachers Chelsie Cabak, Nick Hydukovich and Melissa Reining also appeared to appreciate the presentation, noting that it was a good reminder of the importance of words and relationships. Hydukovich said he took away from the speech that he has a responsibility to maintain relationships with students and connect with them.
Watkins said he thought the speech was exceptionally positive and that teachers and staff appear excited for the start of the school year. He added that the district this year will start seeing the benefits of the referendums, with the opening of several building projects, and said students he has talked to seem enthusiastic.
“The energy here is so positive,” School Board Member Jamie Plantenberg-Selbitschka said before the presentation. “There’s a big sense of camaraderie and collaboration.”

by Julia Brolin
Contributing Writer
The Elk River Area School Board voted unanimously on Aug. 30 to hire two additional elementary teachers just one week prior to the start of the school year.
The new teachers will relieve large class sizes at Parker and Lincoln elementary schools — two of the district’s nine elementary schools
“These student-to-teacher ratios are simply too high and not something we’re comfortable with,” interim Superintendent Bruce Watkins told board members at a special meeting to discuss the emerging class size concerns.
At Parker Elementary, the average second-grade class is 29 students – a number the district believes is too high. Currently, there are three second-grade classes at Parker. With the addition of a fourth classroom teacher, the average class size drops to 21.8 students.
Another area of concern is the fourth-grade classes at Lincoln Elementary. Forty-six percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and 26 percent are special education students. The district recognizes the benefits of smaller classes for this specific group of students. With the addition of a new teacher, the average class size at Lincoln will drop from 32.3 students per class to 24.3
“At three sections (classrooms) each, they have the largest student-to-teacher ratio, but with four they drop to the smallest class size ratio,” explained Joe Stangler, District 728 director of research and assessment.
This is the second year in a row a staffing recommendation like this has been made. A similar staffing recommendation was made around this time last year to also accommodate larger than projected class sizes.
“Student enrollment data is something we look at every day leading up to the new school year. It’s a constant conversation filled with calculations and models,” Stangler said. “It’s not uncommon for us to come to the board in the fall asking for additional staff, as we tend to be conservative with our enrollment numbers.”
Lincoln and Parker second-grade students were on the minds of administrators a week earlier when they recommended and the School Board voted to close open enrollment in the second grade at two elementary schools on School Street in Elk River.
Newly elected School Board Member Gregg Peppin questioned how many potential students and families would miss the opportunity to open enroll. Stangler reported there were no waiting lists, and it would be impossible to know. He said each building has about 40 total open enrollments or about six per grade level.
“Most parents have made the decision to open enroll (by now),” Stangler said. “We typically see that in January, February or March. Whether this will prevent anyone from coming is unknown at this time.”
Those interested in open enrolling into a school and grade level that is closed could open enroll at Meadowvale Elementary School.
Stangler said on Aug. 22 the school district has been adding about five to 10 students a day across the school district and offered a prediction that would continue to happen. Once school starts the numbers will tick down somewhat, based on past experience, he said. Organic growth of District 728 students tipped the scales to ask for help in second grade at Parker and fourth grade and Lincoln.
Watkins said he’s conscious of the set budget and explained how the district would prefer to hire extra teachers close to the school year, as opposed to having too many teachers and not enough students.
The district has already interviewed teachers and plans to have them in place before the first day of classes on Sept. 6. The new hires will cost the district approximately $130,000, but could be more depending on the teachers’ experience. Funds will be taken from the district’s unspecified general fund.
Watkins said it’s all a balancing act between demand and economics. One or two new students only generate between $7,000 and $14,000, but or two new teachers come with a cost between $60,000 and $140,000 depending on their experience.
The administration asked for Twin Lakes open enrollment to be re-opened in all grades but third grade for the coming school year, but School Board members nixed that idea and went as far to say they don’t even want to discuss it for some time.
Outgoing Board Members Sue Farber and Dan Hunt, half-jokingly and half-seriously, said they didn’t want to see it until after Dec. 31.
“I think we all understand,” Vice Chair Shane Steinbrecher said. (Note: Editor Jim Boyle contributed to this report.)

Photos submitted by Jim Boyle

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Students at Zimmerman High School returned to school to find a crime scene. At least that was the case for students in an introductory course in the school’s biomedical science program. Students explore concepts of biology and medicine to determine factors that led to the death of a fictional person by examining autopsy reports, investigating medical history and exploring medical treatments that might have prolonged the person’s life.

Elk River High School will host a Minnesota Education Fair from 12:10 to 2:10 p.m. on Sept. 23 in the high school commons.

There are only 43 Minnesota Education Fairs hosted around the state, and Elk River High School is excited to be awarded this opportunity, according to Kim Davison, a school counselor and career and college specialist.

The school will welcome nearly 80 colleges (vocational, technical, community, four-year and professional schools) into the school. Students will rotate between the college fair, a grade level presentation in the Zabee Theater and an advisory period to work on career and college prep activities.

Anoka-Ramsey Community College’s student-focus, teaching excellence and research opportunities, and low-cost tuition, which have been regionally well-known for years, have launched the college into a top 10 finalist spot for the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s preeminent recognition of high achievement and performance in America’s community colleges.
The $1 million prize, awarded every two years since 2011, recognizes outstanding institutions selected from an original pool of more than 1,000 public community colleges nationwide. The prize will be awarded in March 2017 in Washington, D.C., to the winner and up to four finalists with distinction.
“You might ask, ‘Why Anoka-Ramsey?’ and I proudly say, it’s our people,” says Anoka-Ramsey President Kent Hanson, upon hearing of the distinction.
Hanson credited the school’s faculty, staff and students and an unwavering commitment to student success as well as its community support system from those who donate to scholarships to local legislators who support its funding to business leaders who share insights and advice and often hire the graduates.

Ron Hustvedt Jr., an award-winning social studies teacher at Salk Middle School in Elk River, has been featured in the Monthly Teacher Spotlight of the Minnesota Historical Society’s History Education News publication for September.
The publication noted that Hustvedt was named the 2016 Middle Level Outstanding Teacher of the Year by the National Council for the Social Studies. He also was honored locally as the 2015 Minnesota Middle School Teacher of the Year by the Minnesota Council for the Social Studies.

Dean’s lists:
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Elk River
Sam Miller Goerke

Graduations:
North Dakota State University
Rogers
Alycia Evenocheck, master of science, health, nutrition and exercise science; Trent Nelson, B.S., eletrical engineering; Laura Treska, B.S., apparel, retail merchandishing and design
Zimmerman
Marie Dillion, master of arts, English; Derek VanSlyke, B.S., exercise science

Photos by Jennelle Leblanc and Joel Held

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Aly Kalisch, Shiny Early, Kelsey Forster, homecoming queen Morgan Bronken, homecoming king Evan Carr, Treyton Bieber, Kaleb Kliever and Bryce Caswell.

Zimmerman Elementary opened its new multiple-classroom Early Education Learning Center Thursday, Sept. 15, with multiple local dignitaries and school representatives in attendance.
It’s the first of its kind in the Elk River Area School District.

“We are so pleased to showcase this beautiful space,” Interim Superintendent Bruce Watkins said. “The public has given the new rooms a big ‘thumbs up.’ ”
The classrooms and office spaces are attached to Zimmerman Elementary on the southwest side of the building. To date all of the district’s ECFE and Early Education sites have been separate or interspersed at various schools.
The addition makes the ECFE program a separate entity with its own entrance and office area to welcome Zimmerman families.
Watkins said providing this new space for 3-5 year olds helps create a more seamless transition to kindergarten and grades 1 and 2.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the new parent room and the 5 new classrooms,” Watkins said. “We’re thankful to the entire district for supporting the referendum and making this possible.”

A similar addition is going to be added to Rogers Elementary School in the southern end of the school district.
“We’re excited,” Principal Gretchen Fisher said. “We love having these future learners in our building, and this is just a great introduction to Zimmerman for our new families.”
District 728 Community Engagement Director Cory Franson said voters stepped up for families in 2014 with the $98 million bond issue, and the new space will serve the community well.
“It’s a new opportunity for our preschoolers and families to grow with our schools,
Franson said. “I can see it fostering a lot of new connections in our communities. It’s an awesome opportunity for us to educate, inspire and empower our youngest learners.”

by Jim Boyle
Editor
Dr. Kenneth Dragseth and Dr. Antoinette Johns of School Exec Connect laid out their game plan Sept. 26 for finding the next superintendent of schools at a work session of the Elk River Area School Board.
The search firm’s process will include students, parents and community leaders as well as school administrators, building principals, certified and classified non-certified staff and the community at large.

School Board members were told they still have to determine an acceptable salary range within a couple of weeks, and newly elected Gregg Peppin has stated during the work session at the District 728 Offices he wants to look for alternative candidates who might need a waiver from the state.
A letter to District 728 stakeholders has been crafted, and a confidential survey was to be loaded onto the Elk River Area School District’s website at www.isd728.org. Replies are due by Oct. 30.
The search firm’s process will include individual face-to-face meetings with members of the District 728 Board, school district staff, parents, students and community members as well as in focus groups to determine strengths, challenges, goals for the district and characteristics or skills people would like to see in their next leader.
Focus groups will be established for administrators, both certified and non-certified staff, high school students, parent leaders and community leaders.
The consultants and members of the School Board spent a lot of time on Sept. 26 talking about who would be on the focus groups, and they didn’t pull up when it came to discussing the importance of student input. It was decided to have two groups of about 15 or 16 students pooled from the four area high schools.
“And we don’t want all the National Honor Society students,” Johns said. “We want a real cross-section. Kids that are at all levels in the district.”
Interim Superintendent Bruce Watkins agreed with that approach, noting with a cross section of achievers there are kids who are speaking to their needs and what they’re hoping for and others that are kind of speaking of their successes and what they have received.
Johns said including a special education student or two would also be valuable along with ELL students or immigrants. Honor students and others heavily involved in school life will also be sought.
“The students are usually really good,” Dragseth said.
Johns said the depth of answers students provide is “amazing.”
Parent leaders of the school PTOs as well as community leaders will be tapped for the focus groups involving parents and the community.

Profile of the next school chief
All these efforts will be done to develop a profile of what people are looking for in the next superintendent.
The community meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 18, most likely at the centrally located Zabee Theater inside Elk River High School.
The individual input from one-on-one interviews (including any newly elected board members from the Nov. 8 election), focus groups, the survey and the results of the open meeting will be pooled and synthesized by Dragseth and Johns to prepare a report and a draft profile of the next school superintendent at meeting in mid-November.
School Board members, who will ultimately be in on the decision of who to hire, will get a copy of the draft beforehand and a chance to revise the draft. That includes those who will be newly elected on Nov. 8.
“We’ll present the profile then, and talk about the report,” Dragseth said. “Sometimes there’s something that’s missed, words that need to be revised or some change made to reflect the philosophy of the district.”
Then there’s a final copy prepared and the School Board will be asked to approve it.
“The community and the candidates can see what you’re looking for and that becomes a tool that we use later on to vet the candidates.”
Dragseth and Johns led the search more than 10 years ago when Dr. Mark Bezek was hired when the district was fractured and there was talk of the southern reaches of the school district breaking off. Dragseth recalled heavily attended meetings and lots of community upset.
“It was a very trying time,” School Board Member Sue Farber said.

Recruitment of candidates
Members of the Elk River Area School Board agreed to spend $905 to advertise nationally for superintendent candidates through Education Week and the American Association of School Administrators.
School Board members also agree they will draw upon the connectedness of School Exec Connect to bring in viable candidates as well as free vehicles like Minnesota School Boards Association, its own website and others.
Dragseth said the advantage of casting the net nationally is districts can get that person who is not looking for a job but sees an opportunity to return to their home state or home community.
“It’s good to spread it a little wider and see who’s out there,” Dragseth said. “For 905 bucks you have covered all over the country. In a large district like this, that’s a good thing.”
Peppin asked Dragseth and Johns about alternative searches.
“I’m interested in doing a nontraditional search,” he said. “Talk to me about doing a search outside the typical channels.”
The pair explained that, in Minnesota, candidates must have a Minnesota superintendent’s license or must get a waiver.
“We cannot recruit anybody that does not have a license,” Dragseth said. “A business person, for example, who has never gone through the Minnesota Department of Education processed to be licensed can’t be brought in by us.”
If someone without a superintendent’s licence inquired, Johns said they would direct the person to call the state.
Someone with an educational background and a superintendent’s license from another state can apply for a waiver, and that can be more easily done, Johns said.
Dragseth said he sat on a review board for six years that granted administrative licenses for people seeking alternative licensure from the University of Minnesota.
“If you do not have an education background, you need to take all the standards that are required (about 60 some) and you do a portfolio document and here’s how you meet each one of the these standards,” Dragseth said. “Then you have to go before a board of community members and educators and get approved by that.”
Certain requirements that others states don’t require need to be completed.
Peppin asked Dragseth to explain the process involved with the hiring of Peter Hutchinson by Minneapolis Public Schools years ago.
Dragseth said it’s obsolete now. The Minnesota Legislature changed the laws to prevent that situation from repeating itself. Minneapolis Public Schools had contracted to have a privately held team, headed by Hutchinson, lead the school system. When Hutchinson ended up quitting the job, the contract was voided, Dragseth said.
“The Department of Education and the Legislature said we don’t want this to happen again. It’s too disruptive,” Dragseth said.
An alternative licensure process is in place now that provides a path to hiring alternative candidates. Johns says it has been used in several instances, including with the hiring of a military man.
“He had been a superintendent in another state as well,” she said. “When he got here he got a variance. He was definitely an alternative candidate. It’s rare but it can be done.”
Johns said to get a variance or waiver, someone might have to take several classes that are required in Minnesota on topics ranging from human relations to Minnesota school finance.
Farber said interested applicants, traditional or nontraditional, could check the usual places to find school leadership opportunities if they were interested in doing that.
Peppin said he didn’t have a problem advertising for candidates, but he wants to ensure alternative candidates are sought and will be considered.

Recruitment, vetting
Dragseth and Johns said the recruitment and vetting process would happen between Sept. 28 and Jan. 25, 2017.
Then on Feb. 6, highly qualified candidates would be presented to the District 728 School Board and four to six of them would be picked for interviews on Feb. 7 and 8, 2017.
The School Board would narrow that group down to two or three finalists who would be called back for daylong interviews on Feb. 13, 15 and, if need be, on Feb. 16 with community, staff and students.
From there, the School Board would conduct a second set of interviews to narrow the finalists down to one with the hope of negotiating a contract in late February and early March with board action on a contract on March 13. The new superintendent would assume duties on July 1, 2017.

Elk River Area School District
superintendent search

Sept. 26 Meet with board to establish search process.

Sept. 28 Stakeholder letter to explain process.

Oct. 18 Meet with School Board, staff, students and community for input into the “new superintendent profile.”

Nov. 14 Develop “new superintendent profile” based on input from community, focus groups, survey results and board interviews.
Among the groups of people to be called upon include district administration, building administration, certified staff, classified non-certified staff, high school students, parent leaders, community leadership.

Sept. 28 Recruit candidates and complete vetting.
Jan. 25

Feb. 6 Highly qualified candidates presented to School Board.
Initial interviews for four to six candidates set for Feb. 7 and 8.

Feb. 7-8 First School Board interviews. Board narrows choice to two or three finalists.

Feb. 13, 15-16 All-day interview process. Community, staff, student interviews. Board reviews feedback forms and conducts second interviews and then narrows choice to one.

Late Feb. to Negotiate contract.
early March

March 13 Board action on superintendent’s contract.

July 1 Superintendent assumes duties.

Spectrum High School crowned its homecoming king and queen on Sept. 19, and spent the rest of the week hooping it up with dress up days, a pep fest, football game and dance.
This year’s queen is Davey Jackson, and this year’s king is Travis Bondy.
The princes and princesses included juniors Olivia Foell and Parker Stockwell and sophomores Brea Fahrner and Carter Allard.
In an interesting twist, two girls tied for the princess honors at the freshmen level. Freshman prince Max Lawrence escorted both Lauren White and Emily Fearing during the festivities.

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Spectrum High School’s homecoming court was announced at an official kickoff ceremony on Sept. 19 in the gymnasium at the school.

Earlier this year, the Elk River Area School Board selected a community member-based Facilities Usage Committee, with the purpose of guiding the district through a process that best utilizes current and future facilities as we move into the next decade.
Now, the Facilities Usage Committee is asking the public to voice its opinion on school district needs, ideas and concepts as we face future challenges such as growth, student activity and our changing communities.
From Thursday, Sept. 29 to Thursday, Oct. 6 the committee has asked the District 728 community, to share feedback via a survey.
This is the first of 3 surveys the district will use to reach out to families and residents as the committee develops a plan for the District 728 School Board.
Each of these 3 public surveys will involve one community meeting to gather additional feedback for the Facilities Usage Committee to review.
On Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in the Rogers Middle School cafetorium the group will host the first survey community meeting. All Elk River Area School District community members are invited to attend.
Additional surveys will be issued in October and November, with community meetings to be held thereafter in Otsego and Zimmerman.
Visit www.isd728.org/FacilityUsage for more information on the Facilities Usage Committee.

by Paul Rignell
Contributing Writer
The Elk River Area School Board on Sept. 26 approved a maximum levy that will be assessed directly to property owners in District 728 next year for funding school operations in the year which begins next fall.
Technically, a school district’s fiscal year starts in July.
The district’s maximum levy will be $41.055 million next year, which would mean an increase of 2.97 percent over the 2016 levy of $39.87 million that supports the current school year.
The largest potential dollar changes within the general fund levy to take effect next year are in the voter-approved referendum levy (a possible increase of $417,014, up to $7.16 million for taxes payable 2017) and in a long-term facility maintenance levy. That specific amount could grow by more than 100 percent, from $615,485 in the 2016 levy up to $1.477 million.
The impact of those increases would be offset by decreases in other areas of the levy, including a drop of $206,160 for operating capital.
Also, the district’s overall debt service obligations will reduce by about $887,000 for 2017, according to current numbers.
Total school levies that are approved for the following year can be lowered by each December, when taxes to be assessed for the next year must be certified.
Local levies do not cover all of a district’s funding for a fiscal year. The balance is covered by state support or appropriations, and District 728 Assistant Director of Finance Joe Primus explained the Minnesota Department of Education is finishing final updates for the past year on enrollment and expenditure data.
When those updates are available, if the local board decides to reduce the levy, they likely must choose where to make adjustments and discuss how that could affect the next year’s programming, Primus said.
District 728 Executive Director of Business Services Greg Hein explained at the Sept. 26 meeting that local levies will rise, complemented by reductions in state aid, when overall market values grow in a district.
He noted that property values trend upward with increased commercial and residential construction in a district.
Board members announced they will open a public budget and tax hearing Dec. 12.

by Jim Boyle
Editor
Area high school students in grades nine through 12 got a jump on postsecondary planning on Sept. 23 by attending an education fair on Sept. 23 at Elk River High School.
The event attracted 78 schools from technical, vocational, community and four-year programs, providing information for a wide variety of careers.

“Whether students were planning to enroll in a short-term training program or pursue a doctorate degree or professional program, there was something for all levels of postsecondary training,” college and career specialist and school counselor Kim Davison said.
Schools from eight states were represented, making it a convenient way for students to gather information in one spot.

Davison said the advantage of attending a college fair is students get to make a personal contact with a school. Instead of just looking at the college website, they can direct their specific questions to an admission counselor the day of the fair and have a go-to person for future questions and to help them with their exploration process, she said.
“If you do not know where you are going to go, this is a great opportunity,” Brett Ducker said as Zimmerman High School students were asked to report to Door A of Elk River High School. “For us this is great exposure to a lot of students across all high school grade levels.”

Ducker is a regional admissions counselor, and Nebraska University is attempting to grow its enrollment from 25,000 to 30,000. To do it, they are offering scholarships to bring the cost of college down to the level of an in-state school.
“We expect to get students from our own state,” he said. “We’re trying to get students from other states.”
They’re not alone.
School representatives also came from North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and Rhode Island.
There are only 43 education fairs hosted in the state each year. ERHS was excited to be awarded this opportunity, and Davison says the hope is to host another one at Elk River in two years.
Elk River High School students were able to rotate between the college fair, a 30-minute grade-level presentation in the Zabee Theater and 60-minute advisory period with career and college prep activities.
It was another chance for students in grades nine through 12 to put to use the Chromebooks they were issued at the beginning of the year. Students seemed to appreciate the opportunity and liked having the information right at their fingertips.
“It’s very handy,” one student noted.

Career center to open soon at ERHS
Freshmen were told about the school’s career center at Elk River High School that will be open soon and remain open during school lunch throughout the school year.
“You can find information on all of the colleges that are here today (at the education fair) and more,” counselor Megan Niedfeldt told the ninth-grade students, noting there will also be information about career fields in addition to information about colleges and postsecondary training.

Special to the Star News
Elk River High School students celebrated homecoming this past week and capped it off with a parade down School Street and a football game.

The week started with Get Up and Go Day. Some students went simple wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt. Others got more sophisticated with slippers, robes and stuffed animals. Tuesday everyone was supporting their favorite teams for Jersey Day. Wednesday the students were all dressed in vacation gear for Tourist Day. The ‘70s look was a big hit on Thursday for Throwback Thursday. And, of course, on Friday the school was all gray, white, red and black to represent their grade.
As the students filled the gym for a pep fest, the high school’s pep band played.
The homecoming court was announced immediately this year at a shortened event. Seniors lined up for the crowning of the king and queen: Jalon Nielson and Haley Rasmussen.

The pep fest continued with the fall dance team performing a hip-hop number. All of the fall season sport captains got a chance to talk about their accomplishments so far in the season.

The drumline followed, a group of students who make music using trash cans.
The newest crop of Hall of Fame inductees were introduced to students by Mike Cunningham, the school’s activities director.
He also announced Arthur Fosse was voted class president of the 2016-2017 school year.
The senior football players and their mothers took the floor to perform a heartwarming dance routine.
Then it was time for the tug of war between classes. The seniors won.

The annual homecoming parade followed and then the homecoming football game.
The Elks football team surprised everyone when they came out in commemorative black Team 125 jerseys.
Elk River lost the coin toss to Buffalo but won the game 63-21.
(Editor’s note: Shannon Allen and Tyra Jenni contributed to this report.)

by Joni Astrup
Associate Editor
Four of the six candidates vying for three seats on the Elk River Area School Board squared off Tuesday in a congenial forum.

Joel Nelson, John Parker, Kristian Mortenson and Christi Tullbane participated in the forum. Gary Kowalkowski and incumbent Holly Thompson were unable to be there.

Nelson is an executive pastor at Gateway Church in Elk River. He and his wife have two daughters and live in Ramsey. He said his daughters have done well in the Elk River Area School District and he looks forward to continuing that quality education.
Parker, of Elk River, is a stay-at-home dad to four sons, ages 2, 4, 5 and 8. He also has a 24-year-old daughter and two grandchildren. His wife is a registered nurse at Allina Health. He previously repaired aircraft in the U.S. Air Force, set up and ran machinery in the printing industry, worked as an auto repair technician, built race cars for a living and has been in supervisory and leadership positions. He said he would bring common sense, a level head, an open mind and a willingness to listen to the position.

Mortenson teaches accounting at the University of St. Thomas. He has three daughters going to schools in the district and said he and his wife are excited about the education that they are getting in local schools.
He and his family have lived in the area for about three years.
Mortenson said he would like to offer what he can — skills and education — to help contribute.

Tullbane has lived in Rogers for nine years. She and her husband have three daughters. Tullbane volunteers at Hassan Elementary, chairs the District 728 Community Education Board of Directors and helped develop The Loft program for middle schoolers. She works part time for Custom Spirit-wear. She said she is seeking the board position to advocate for students and families, provide support for teachers and administrators and to help with communication.

The forum was sponsored by the Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce, held at Elk River City Hall and moderated by Mark Urista. It will be rebroadcast on ERTV Channel 180.

Candidates field questions
Candidates were asked what role public education should play in solving the problem of businesses unable to find employees with the right attitude and skills who are ready to work.

Parker said public schools should play a big part. He also likes the idea of bringing back high school industrial arts programs.
Mortenson said schools need to educate students to make good choices and let them know what their postsecondary options are. ”It’s important that we prepare them for success in whatever they do,” he said. “If we can produce that kind of work force, they’ll find good-fitting jobs (and) they will provide what the economy needs.”
Tullbane likes the idea of an aptitude test to help students determine their strengths. She also sees a great opportunity to provide life skills in high school.
Nelson said public schools must strive to send out graduates prepared for their future plans, whether that’s higher education, going into the work force or another path. High school can also help instill useful habits like punctuality and proper work ethics, he said.
Asked about school safety measures, Nelson favors looking at more and different ways to protect kids.
“I think we’ve got a great start, but I don’t think that we’re finished there yet,” he said.
Parker said safety is a top priority. He attended inner city schools in Flint, Michigan, which was a dangerous place, and said that personal security and situational awareness were an everyday fact for him.
Fortunately, Elk River Area Schools are not at that point, he said. That said, he thinks a little more could be done to beef up security, but cautioned not to go overboard and scare kids.
Mortenson said the school locked-door policies are great. There could be threats from both outside and inside the school, and outside threats certainly need to be monitored. As for internal threats, he believes the School Board, principals, teachers and staff could help recognize students who are in danger, facilitate conversation, teach kids how to express themselves and help them feel part of the community. If they feel part of the community, they’re not going to want to harm the community, he said.
Tullbane said the schools have done a great job addressing potential threats from the outside. That being said, she’d like to see schools have some sort of defense. “I’m not saying a firearm, but I am saying some form of defense rather than the hide-and-seek game because I feel that can leave children in a vulnerable situation,” she said.
Within the system, she said schools have done a great job addressing bullying.
With the Elk River Area School District seeking a new superintendent after the departure of Mark Bezek, candidates were asked what qualities they would look for in that person.
Tullbane is interested in hiring a superintendent who has proven him or herself and someone with a new approach that potentially has been proven elsewhere. She also would like the person to develop strong relationships within the community and to be a strong leader able to make tough decisions.
Nelson is looking for a cheerleader for the district and a person who is above reproach who would inspire kids to want to be like him or her.
He also is looking for an individual who is even-tempered, prudent with finances and relates well with teachers, board members and others.
He said he’s open to looking at candidates who may come from somewhere other than an educational standpoint.
Parker said leadership skills are key. He would like to hire a superintendent who would involve the community, inspire people, see where the district needs to go and have the skills to run a large organization.
Mortenson would look for a person who is a good listener, as part of leadership is to listen and learn what concerns exist.
He also would like a person who can make tough decisions, connect with people, have a good working relationship with the School Board and principals and be open to critique.
Given the steep learning curve that school board members face, candidates were asked what their strategy would be.
Mortenson said he is a Type A personality and when he gets involved with something, he goes after it.
Tullbane said she has a background in early childhood education and has managed child care centers. She enjoys discussion, brainstorming, comparing different ideas and advocating for everyone.
Nelson said he doesn’t have a chip on his shoulder or an ax to grind, but would listen and learn and bring a commonsense approach to the board.
He also would like to improve communication so people understand why the School Board makes the decisions it does.
Parker said, “You start with ‘I don’t know’ and you can learn from there.” He also said he tends to dive deep into subjects he finds interesting and has a desire to know “why.” When you don’t have all the answers, he said, you use your resources to find those answers.

Remaining candidate forums set for Oct. 11 and 13
Additional candidate forums sponsored by the Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce are coming up next week. They include:
•Tuesday, Oct. 11: 7-8:30 p.m. Legislative District 30 (House and Senate). In Senate District 30, Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, will be at the forum, but her DFL challenger, P.J. LaCroix, will not. In House District 30A, Rep. Nick Zerwas, R-Elk River, and DFL challenger Sarah Hamlin will be present, as will House District 30B Rep. Eric Lucero, R-Dayton, and his DFL challenger Margaret Fernandez.
•Thursday, Oct. 13: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Congressional District 6 (U.S. House). Congressman Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota, and challenger David Snyder plan to be at the forum.
Mark Urista will moderate the forum on Oct. 13 and Ben Bauman will moderate the Oct. 11 event.
The forums will take place at Elk River City Hall, 13065 Orono Parkway, and will be recorded live and rebroadcast.