Three Candidates Vye for District 742 School Board Seat in Special Election

(KNSI) — Three candidates are running for an open seat on the St. Cloud Area District 742 School Board as part of a special election on Tuesday, November 4th.

The winner will finish out Bruce Hentges’ term, who stepped down due to health reasons in February. The spot is for an at-large position on the board.

One of the candidates is the current interim holder of the seat. Al Dahlgren had served for many years on the group before narrowly losing reelection last cycle.

Dahlgren is a businessman and says he is proud of balancing the budget during the decade-plus he has served on the school board. He says fiscal restraint is as important as ever, with 742 renovating Apollo High School and constructing a new multipurpose athletic facility.

He also spoke about bringing a conservative perspective to the board, something he believes is an important counterbalance against what he considers the group’s prevailing orthodoxy. Dahlgren adds that, overall, he is a true believer in District 742. He says when you adjust for poverty and other external factors, the district stacks up well. “Students who come to our schools ready to learn, they get a superior education, I believe, to any other school district in the area. We need people to understand the quality of the schools that we have here in St Cloud.”

That sentiment is one shared by the other candidate in the race with previous school board experience. Peter Hamerlinck first got the bug to get involved when he became president of the PTA at Kennedy Elementary School. He then joined the district board in the early 2010s.

Hamerlinck says the tradition of serving in education runs deep in his family. “My dad was director of the technical college. So, just kind of came back to now, realizing that I still have that passion, that love, that concern, that energy to put forward to our public schools.”

In contrast to Dahlgren’s emphasis on his conservative beliefs, Hamerlinck strives to be neutral. He emphasizes that his priorities will come from the parents of students in the district. “We need to be listeners. That’s the best thing. As a board member, I can see myself, as I’ve done before, just going to PTA meetings, not to preach, not to give out messages, but just to see what and hear what is going on in each of those schools.”

Hamerlinck does not have a specific issue that triggered his run, but the final candidate for the seat is quick to explain why she threw her hat in the ring.

For Gina Acevedo, it is about safety. “We are living in a time of violence, of harm to others, and specifically in schools. So, I really want to focus on ensuring that our students and our staff are safe.”

Acevedo says safety is more than just the physical side of the equation. She wants to promote good mental health and fight against bullying. Acevedo believes this is the best way to ensure students and teachers can focus on learning.

Acevedo grew up a child in a military family and moved around the world at a young age as a result. She would eventually settle in the Tampa, Florida, area before coming home to central Minnesota, where her parents grew up. She works for CentraCare and has a family of her own. Acevedo believes being a parent is one of her greatest strengths as a candidate. “I think it’s really important to have a parent perspective on the board, and knowing that any decision that I may make as a school board member directly impacts my kids.”

Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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