(Editor’s note: The candidate stories are based on questionnaires given to the candidates.)
by Dennis Dalman
There are seven candidates (four of them incumbents) vying for four open seats on the board of the St. Cloud school district, of which St. Joseph is a part.
The candidates are (in alphabetical order) Scott Andreason (incumbent), Al Dahlgren (incumbent), Diana Fenton, Shannon Haws (incumbent), Bruce Hentges, Monica Segura-Schwartz (incumbent) and Yoanna Ayala-Zaldana.
The four open seats are now occupied by incumbents Andreason, Dahlgren, Haws and Segura-Schwartz.
As of press time, Ayala-Zaldana had not responded to the questionnaire.
Andreasen for re-election to help solve problems
Incumbent Scott Andreasen, who refiled for a second term on the St. Cloud School Board, said he wants to remain on the board because he has a good grasp on financial management.
Currently, the board’s treasurer, Andreasen has a long history with school involvement. He attended the Parent Teacher Association and the Site Council at Apollo High school. He is a community member of the Board Finance Committee, and he was chair of the Community Education Advisory Committee.
Andreasen, a licensed private detective, owns Scott Investigation agency and has been in business since 1992. He works for attorneys and for the general public. The Andreasen family moved to the St. Cloud area in 1985 and then to St. Joseph in 2000. He and wife Sandi have six grown children – all graduates of Apollo High School.
Andreasen graduated from Minneapolis Southwest High School and then from Mankato State University with a bachelor’s degree in social studies (teaching) and a minor degree in business administration. He also has an “associate in claims” degree from the insurance industry.
Diversity is the St. Cloud School District’s greatest strength, Andreasen said.
Students from many races and cultures contribute to knowledge about one another, learning to live together as they will have to do in the grown-up world, he noted.
A weakness of the district is unfunded mandates, Andreasen said.
He explained: “As a regional center, District 742 is home to many disabled, non-English speakers and homeless families and students. The law mandates taking care of these high-cost students before the general population, but it does not provide any extra money. “
Another major concern, he added, is safety.
Nationwide, there have been 45 active shooter incidents since Jan. 1,” Andreasen noted. “I recently participated in an active-shooter drill with St. Cloud police. I have repeatedly voted for secure entrances. Apollo (High School) is the only unsecured school in the district.”
Andreasen pointed out that a new state law requires the building of a storm shelter for an entire school when the school is remodeled. That has been done at McKinley Area Learning School. Andreasen said Apollo High School is 50 years old and needs a secure entrance and remodeling (including a storm shelter).
Andreasen said he strongly supports a referendum for bonding to cover that cost (Apollo remodeling project).
Dahlgren: Continue entrepreneurial spirit on the board
Al Dahlgren, a St. Joseph resident, is a current St. Cloud Area District School Board member and business owner who wants to keep the board focused on allocating tax dollars effectively.
Dahlgren, not currently married, has four adult children and two grandchildren. He has lived in the St. Cloud school district area for 33 years. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota. Dahlgren is the owner of Once Upon a Child retail store.
“As a small business owner, I bring an entrepreneurial spirit to the board,” he said. “The money we manage doesn’t just ‘come from the state.’ It comes out of the pockets of hard-working people, and they expect us in return to work hard, be resourceful and allocate their tax dollars effectively.”
Dahlgren has been the chair of the Finance Committee and is currently its vice chair.
“I’ve balanced budgets without an excess operating levy in place, prioritized effective spending, and given back to our community by donating nearly double my board salary back to programs supporting our schools,” he said.
Dahlgren said he is dedicated to enacting practical policies that make a real difference in classrooms to ensure students get the best possible education.
He listed school district strengths as being the following: more than 1,000 professionals who have dedicated their lives to inspire kids to learn, become productive adults and enrich their communities; elementary talent-development programs; advanced-placement courses and strong partnerships with local colleges; local employers partnering with the district to develop career and tech-ed programming; and unique activities that help students engage with their schools and with one another.
“Our district has much to be proud of,” he said. “We have great facilities.”
What about district weaknesses?
“I’m not going to beat around the bush,” he said. “We suffer with a reputation of lower test scores on standardized tests. I want people to understand test scores are the results of averaging. Kids who come to us with engaged families, not living in poverty, do very well.”
The challenges Dahlgren listed as the following:
• Families living in poverty, some schools with up to 90 percent of children in poverty.
• About 600 students experience homelessness each year.
• Up to 40 percent in classroom turnover in some schools. In many classrooms, students are only there for part of a year.
• A high number of English-language learners and students with limited or interrupted formal education.
• A large number of special-education students, partly because of excellent medical facilities in this region.
• One high school (McKinley) serves as a multi-district school to give students extra time and support to earn a diploma.
Those realities are not excuses, Dahlgren added, but challenges that teachers face every day.
“Teaching can be difficult even in communities that don’t face these challenges,” he said. “Our teachers do a lot more than teach! Our average test score may not be as high as the average in communities who face fewer challenges, but our schools are excellent institutions of learning. Every day we see amazing students do amazing things. I hope our community places value in that.”
Dahlgren listed some of his future goals:
• To continue to be a voice of moderation so schools should be places of enjoyment and learning, free from distractions caused by politics.
• Work toward and maintain healthy fund balances.
• Infrastructure improvements to Apollo High School, now 50 years old, especially in the technical education areas to bring them up to current standards.
• Continue to lobby the Department of Education for funding that covers special education and English-language learner services. Those mandates are currently underfunded.
In closing, Dahlgren said: “It has been an honor to serve the voters in the St. Cloud School District. I would appreciate your vote.”
Fenton: New board perspectives are needed
Diana Fenton, after her many years as an educator, decided to file for a position on the St. Cloud School Board because she believes she has the knowledge, experience and energy to bring a new perspective to the board.
Fenton, a St. Cloud resident, has lived in that city for 27 years. Married, with three adult children, she is an associate professor in the education department at the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University. There, her current role is to prepare future teachers. During her 24-year teaching career, she has also taught at North Junior High School and the St. Cloud Technical and Community College.
She earned a degree in biotechnology and chemistry, as well as masters’ degrees in plant breeding and genetics and interdisciplinary teacher preparation and a doctorate degree in K-12 educational leadership.
“I have been on all sides of education as a teacher, parent and now preparing teachers,” Fenton said. “I also have a background in science and in technology and I understand the challenges and opportunities those bring to education. My doctorate in K-12 educational leadership and my K-12 principal’s license have provided me with the knowledge and background on the administration and business side of education as well.”
Fenton listed some of the strengths of the St. Cloud Area School District: its language-immersion programs, staff and teachers who provide inclusive learning environments and embrace cultural differences not as a challenge but as a strength.
What about district weaknesses?
She listed attendance and graduation rates.
“Many factors have contributed to that, but I think we could do better,” Fenton said. “We also lose many students to other districts so a creative approach to new programs could keep some of our students in the district.”
Fenton said she would like to help with policies and developments based on successful programs she has seen during visits to many metro and rural schools throughout Minnesota. She has traveled to and studied many educational systems that could provide ideas for new approaches.
“If elected,” she said, “I would bring fresh ideas and a new voice to the board.”
Haws’ business skills, love for children motivates her
Incumbent St. Cloud School Board candidate Shannon Haws decided to file for re-election because, in her words, she “deeply values a strong education system, both as a business manager and a parent in our community.”
Haws is the general manager for Comfort Keepers Home Care. She has lived most of her life in the St. Cloud area, with the exception of the 15 years she lived in Alaska. She has four adult children (Haiden, Zander, Olivia, CrystalAnne) and a significant other, Tim.
Haws holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and human resources.
Haws has been school board chair for the past four years.
“During that time I worked to foster a balanced, respectful approach to governance,” she said. “In a time when many school boards face division and contention, my ability to listen, understand and respect diverse viewpoints has been crucial in maintaining a high-functioning board. I believe my experience and moderate approach can continue to contribute positively to our school district’s success.”
Skills and talents she said she brings to her school board work are a background in business management, finance, human resources, teaching and coaching.
“My four grown children, two of whom graduated from Tech High School and two from non-public schools, give me a deep understanding of our district’s needs,” she said.
Haws listed the district’s strengths as dedicated teachers and support staff who deliver a wide range of courses and activities; a diverse population and community partnerships that provide services and resources; updated facilities and programs; a comprehensive special education system; and specialized dyslexia services.
“The district also has a strong leadership team which is receptive to feedback and focused on driving innovation to improve our education environment,” she added.
District weaknesses? Haws said unfunded mandates and a high number of special education and English learners, a large cross-subsidy is needed. That means the district must take a significant amount of funds from the general fund to cover the shortfall. That necessity affects resources and other educational programs, she noted. However, those challenges are being overcome by “the remarkable work and progress within the district,” and a strong school board that supports the district with targeted interventions and resources, ensuring all students can succeed.
Haws mentioned policies, developments, amenities she would like to make happen on a next term on the board:
• Remove barriers to participation in extracurricular activities, such as costs and transportation.
• Strengthen parent involvement in their child’s educational path, including eliminating costs for parents to attend extracurricular activities and support the Community Schools Grant for North and Discovery schools.
• Advocate for funding for Apollo High School. With a new Tech High, she wants to make sure Apollo High School students have comparable educational opportunities.
• Continue to advocate for addressing unfunded mandates.
• Artificial Intelligence presents both opportunities and challenges for public education. After attending the AI Summit sponsored by St. Cloud Area Schools this summer, Haws said she recognized the rapid pace of technological change and the need for schools to embrace AI.
• Support instructor educational pathways for implementing the “Science of Reading” in classrooms.
Hentges: Long life in education would be a big plus
Bruce Hentges, now retired, would like to serve on the St. Cloud Area School District Board because he now has the time, energy and passion to continue his strong support of education in the district.
If elected, it would be his third time on the school board. He served on it from 2008-2012 and from 2014-2018.
He recently retired as the executive director of the District 742 Local Education and Activities Foundation, which is the education foundation for the St. Cloud Area School District.
Hentges grew up in Clear Lake but lived in St. Cloud most of his life. He and wife Colleen, married for 50 years, have two adult sons, Ryan and Scott, both graduates of Tech High School. Hentges’ nine brothers and sisters attended Clear Lake Elementary, then South Junior High (St. Cloud) and graduated from Tech High School – Hentges in 1968.
He earned a degree in social science (teaching degree from St. John’s University and a master’s degree from St. Cloud State University). He taught in Winona for one semester before moving back to St. Cloud.
“I believe talent is distributed equally among groups, but opportunity is not,” Hentges said. “Public education gives all students the opportunities needed to find success in their lives.”
He listed some of his skills, experiences and talents: Thirty-five years in the St. Cloud District in many roles, including social studies teacher and coach at both Tech and Apollo; Tech and district-wide activities director, district transportation director, administrator at Apollo and Tech, principal at Westwood Elementary, two previous terms on the school board.
In addition, he was a founder (in 1993) of LEAF, which has given more than $3 million in grants to District 742 educational programs and has built a nearly $2.5 million endowment fund for the Central Minnesota Community Foundation.
Hentges mentioned what he believes are the school district’s biggest strengths: excellent facilities and hard-working staff and teachers at every level; advanced programming, remedial programs; strong academics, activities, arts and athletic programs; a diverse student body so students can learn with and work with people of different backgrounds to help prepare them for life in “the real world;” many opportunities for students from economically challenged backgrounds.
What about weaknesses or things that could be improved?
“I have no specific suggestions,” he said. “However, all organizations must be focused on continued growth and improvement. I believe District 742 always has a focus on becoming increasingly more effective and supportive of all students’ needs.”
If elected, Hentges said he would like the board to work with legislators to increase public-school funding, especially for unfunded mandates like special education and English-language learning.
“I have testified before the House Education Finance Committee in past years to explain the impact these unfunded mandates have on the overall education program and to encourage eliminating unfunded mandates so all students in Minnesota have the same opportunities for a great education.”
Segura-Schwarz hopes to strengthen school diversity
Monica Segura-Schwartz, incumbent member of the St. Cloud School Board, is seeking a second term on the board because she wants to continue to strengthen the healthy diversity the district has now.
“When I first started on the board I wanted to offer diversity of representation,” she said. “As a younger immigrant at the time (from Colombia, South America), I was a unique candidate at the time, being new and able to offer fresh eyes. Today I am happy to report our board is much more diverse. Today I can offer experience, including institutional memory necessary for the implementation of current strategic plans. That affects our scores and quality of learning and excitement for our initiatives for our district.”
Segura-Schwartz and her husband have lived in St. Cloud since 2001. She has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, a master’s degree in social responsibility and another master’s degree in advocacy and political leadership.
She said she fits well on the board because she is collaborative, open to input from others, respectful of people’s opinions and always willing to discuss district matters with any stakeholder, regardless of background or opinion.
How could the district be improved? Its biggest strength, diversity, she said, could still be improved and strengthened, with a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that come with living in today’s world.
Segura-Schwartz wants to continue to help the school district become an even stronger one, such as facilities improvements at several schools in a district where, in her words, “we are preparing the workforce of tomorrow.”
She also wants to work more on making even better what she called the district’s biggest strength – its diversity.
“We need learning, understanding and facilitating improvements in managing a diverse school system where everyone will feel they belong,” she said.
Segura-Schwartz thanked voters who elected her the first time and said she hopes their support continues.
“Thank you for the opportunity to have been on the board,” she said. “And thank you for considering voting for me for another term.”