Sartell St. Stephen School Board Selects Next Superintendent

(KNSI) — The Sartell-St. Stephen School Board voted unanimously on Monday night to select Dr. Michael Rivard as the district’s next superintendent.

Dr. Rivard is the current Assistant Superintendent for St. Cloud Area School District 742. He was selected from a pool of applicants based on criteria established by the school board and survey input provided by Sartell-St. Stephen stakeholders.

Rounds of interviews were held over the last two weeks, and in addition to school board member evaluations of each candidate’s answers, 16 individuals representing stakeholder groups across the district also provided input. A survey was conducted earlier in the search. School Board Chair Tricia Meling said she is grateful for everyone who offered their thoughts. The information gathered has been “crucial to make sure the most qualified candidate is selected for our district.” School board members considered all this information during their deliberations before making a final selection.

Meling said, “The school board was impressed with Dr. Rivard’s experience and his strong connection with our community. We are grateful for all of the candidates who applied for the position. We appreciate everyone who attended the interviews and our stakeholders who helped us make this important decision.”

Up next will be contract negotiations. Everything is expected to be finalized and approved by the board at their next meeting on March 18th.

The position became open following Dr. Jeff Ridlehoover’s departure to become Superintendent at Rockford Schools. Interim Superintendent Tom Lee came out of retirement to help and has been with the Sartell St. Stephen School District since July of 2023.

Dr. Rivard’s pending start date is July 1st. Interim Superintendent Lee’s contract expires on June 30th.

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