Michael Ringstad, one of the six School Board candidates, has lived in St. Stephen since 2006, and while living in St. Stephen has been a volunteer firefighter for 10 years. He has two children, and some of the fun things Ringstad does with his family are spending time in their work-in-progress apple orchard and working on a pollination habitat project.

Ringstad says the reason he decided to run for the Sartell-St.Stephen School Board was his investment in the school district and that he and his wife have lived in the district for 18 years, choosing to start their family here.

He went on to say, “I’m passionate about the skilled trades and promoting pathways for kids to earn a decent and honorable living without a 4-year degree.  I have served on many boards and acquired strong listening skills, effective problem-solving abilities, and an understanding of the importance of collaboration among board members in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. Finally, I believe in the importance of adhering to policy and procedure to maintain the mission and integrity of an organization.“

When asked his favorite thing about the School District, Ringstad said that he thinks the biggest strength of the school district is the quality of teachers and the support given to staff who work hard for the benefit of students.

Other things Ringstad enjoys about this school district are “The coordination and collaboration that happens between the principals, teachers, paras, office staff, kitchen crew, grounds crew and everyone in between to ensure a safe, clean and healthy learning environment.”

If elected, there are a couple of things Ringstad thinks could be improved within our district. “I think there is an opportunity for all of us to refocus our attention on the mission of the public education system in MN as defined by law:’The mission of public education in Minnesota, a system for lifelong learning, is to ensure individual academic achievement, an informed citizenry, and a highly productive workforce.’ without being distracted by personal biases and emotions.”

Current Board Member Matt Moehrle is running for re-election this year and has served on the Sartell-St. Stephen School Board since the January of 2021. Moehrle has lived in Sartell for 17 years and has two kids in the school district. As a family, Moehrle says some of their favorite things to do are anything lake-related and [going on] family vacations ranging from sunny beaches to snow-filled mountains.

Moehrle is running for re-election because he believes that he’s become a trusted leader within the Sartell St.Stephen School District and that his abilities and approach to the position are a net positive for our district.

He also says, “Most importantly, I primarily keep the best interests of our entire student body top of mind when doing board work.  I believe I’m an asset to the district in this role because I approach it with a public service mindset. I have the right temperament, and I analyze the issues reasonably and pragmatically.  I also have valuable school board experience (including a year as board chair), and the skills I’ve learned in my career as an attorney help me in this job.  I take an independent, non-partisan approach to the role, which I think is the best way to gain and keep public trust in politically divisive times like these.”

Moehrle’s view of the school district’s strengths is that it comes from the people. The strength comes from the families, teachers, and students, who are amazing kids committed to excelling in their ways, which is reflected in the near 100% graduation rate.

Moehrle’s other thoughts on the strengths of the School District include “Our hard-working district employees (of ALL categories) are dedicated to caring for and bettering the lives of all of our kids on a daily basis, and are the reason our schools are ranked so high amongst the school districts in Minnesota.”

Moehrle believes that although the school district is already strong, there is room for improvement. He clarifies he is not running for re-election with any sort of “agenda,” but that there are a few things he’d like to accomplish if elected for the next term.

He went on to say “I’d like to see the quality of our instruction continue to improve, along with our test scores.  Our district should be celebrated for being ranked 15th and 18th in math and reading proficiency, respectively, of the 327 districts in Minnesota.  We’re one of the only districts in our area to see meaningful gains in these metrics over the past few years.  The implementation this year of our new K-5 reading curriculum, Amplify CKLA, should continue our upward trajectory in the years to come.

We also have facilities projects that I’d like to see completed.  Replacing the 1960s-era air handling system at Riverview Intermediate School is one of our biggest facilities needs, and is one that has been communicated to the public since about 2015.  Additionally, we, in partnership with the other five area school districts that make up the Benton Stearns Education District (which provides special education services), need to replace aging and inadequate facilities.  We hope to enter into a long-term lease for a newly renovated facility to house all BSED staff and students.  Finally, our sports and physical education complex at the high school is in need of completion, and I hope to see that project (along with Riverview’s HVAC project) on a public referendum ballot in early 2025.

Another thing our district needs goes beyond the schools themselves and is more of a community-wide need.  We would benefit from increased development; everything from affordable starter homes for younger families to larger, longer-term homes, to businesses large and small.  Residential development is the most effective way to increase our district enrollment numbers and the needed funding that comes with it.  Like most school districts in our area, our enrollment has been slowly declining over the last few years due to decreased birth rates, meaning we need to attract new families to the district to avoid having to make further cuts amongst our staff.  Also, we need more business development to diversify our tax base and take some of the burden of school tax levies off our residential properties.  On this topic, I need to compliment our high school students and staff who last month gave a tour of SHS to Niron Magnetics, which is a company that recently announced it will build a manufacturing headquarters here in Sartell for about 175 employees.  I’ve been told that the Niron representatives who visited SHS were blown away by the quality of the student body and the programming offered to our students.  The bottom line is that if we (school board members) are good stewards of the district, people will be drawn here.

I also hope to improve our school board’s ability to function as a cohesive unit.  The difficulty our board had approving employee contracts earlier this year showed that we still have a lot of room for improvement.  However, the school board recently did a self-evaluation survey with the ultimate goal of participating in guided seminars in the near future on how to function better as a group.  If I’m re-elected, I will be committed to continuing this work so that we can send a message of strength and shared vision – not just to our current residents, but also anyone looking to make our school district a home for their family or business.

Lastly, sometime in my next term I’d like to see the school board comprehensively amend the district’s mission statement and strategic plan.  This was last done in 2022, and should typically be done about every five years.  This is an important tool for the superintendent and others working in the district because it gives them a road map of the priorities and goals our community has for our schools.  Because of this, it’s important that the community and district administration/staff be involved with this process as well.”

Candidate Tricia Meling is running for re-election this year, after her initial election in 2021. Meling has lived in Sartell for eight years and has five children in the district. She is very involved in the community and currently serves as the Sartell-St. Stephen School Board Chair.

Meling says the reason for her running for the board in 2020 was that she felt she had not only the time but also the ability to give back to those around her in the community. The reason for Meling’s re-election is that she wants to continue giving back to the amazing district that she and her family live in.

When asked about Meling’s favorite thing about the district is she said “It’s hard to pick one favorite thing, top of my list are definitely the staff and students.  Our staff goes above and beyond for our students!  I also think we are lucky to have such great students in our buildings every day!”

Meling says that on the topic of what could be improved in our district, there is always room for improvements, but that there isn’t a list of things she’d like to change.

Meling went on to say, “I’d like to see our test scores continue to improve. I’d like to see our staff continue to be supported. I’d like to see our students excel, feel safe, feel valued, and thrive.  I’d like to see our families and community continue to be involved and engaged.”

Aaron Alexander lives in Sartell with his wife and two kids.

Alexander has many things about the district that he enjoys, but said, “My favorite thing about our district is the support we have for our children and their futures.”

When asked what he would like to change about our district if elected, Alexander said “If elected I would like to solidify that all of our students feel safe in our district and get the best education we can offer.”

Another one of the School Board candidates, Michael Gruber, has lived in Sartell since 2020 and has three children who attend school in District 742. Gruber is an ordained minister and is a master of theology candidate at St. John’s School of Theology and Seminary.

The reason Gruber says he is running for the School Board is because he cares about the health and durability of the public institutions.

He goes on to say, “I’ve spent the majority of my adult life in public service between the Army and federal employment. I want to be of service to my country and community. Several decisions the Board has made since 2020 have put us on the wrong track, and I’m running to serve as a contrast to those decisions and to explain to the voting public why I think other decisions are better for the long-term health of the institution.”

Gruber’s favorite thing about the district is that it is local with most staff, educators, and students living within the district.

He says, “That helps give our schools a community feel, and allows us to have a base of similar experiences, customs, and relationships.”

When asked what he would like to change if elected to the Sartell St. Stephen School Board Gruber said, “I want to help restore the public trust. Since 2020, we’ve lost over 5% of our students. This is due to a growing perception among Americans that public education is not politically or ideologically neutral. This is a national, statewide, and regional problem that is not exclusive to Sartell. If we do not account for this in our decision-making as a board, people will continue to make alternative choices about where to send their children to receive education. This affects all of us, not just those with children enrolled in the district.”

Chelsea Thielen, the sixth School Board candidate running for the Sartell St. Stephen School Board, has lived in Sartell since 2016 and has one daughter in the school district and another who graduated last year. Since running for School Board Theilen has hosted many Candidate Park Crawl Meet-and-Greets, as a way to get to know the community.

Thielen says she has always been interested in government, and during her high school years, she attended girl’s state and served as a page at the state capitol. 

She goes on to say, “Two years ago, inspired by my daughters’ work on the high school student council, I considered running for the school board to advocate for our district’s staff, students, and community but didn’t feel fully prepared. Since then, I’ve attended over 20 board meetings, including all superintendent interviews and discussions. I’ve always told my children that if you want change, you need to be part of it. I want to see changes in our district, including fostering collaboration over division, restoring support for our educators, and refocusing on students, and I am ready to contribute to building stronger schools together.”

When asked what her favorite thing about the ISD 748 School District was, she says “What I love most about our school district is the dedication of our incredible teachers and staff, who go above and beyond to support students. The district provides numerous opportunities for youth to grow, both academically and personally, through diverse programs and activities. The commitment to excellence ensures our students are well-prepared for life after graduation, equipped with the skills and confidence to succeed in whatever path they choose. It’s a community that has historically put students first.”

If elected in the 2024-2025 elections, Thielen claims there are some things she would like the district to try and improve on, and she wants to be a part of the change.

She states, “I want to bridge the divisions in our district by fostering unity, reducing polarization, and ensuring that decisions are driven by the needs and values of our local community, not by outside influences. We need to restore confidence in our educators and administrators by trusting their expertise and supporting them fully. It’s essential to allow our teachers to work without harassment or micromanagement, demonstrating our commitment to their well-being and professional autonomy. We need to genuinely listen to the community majority, not polarizing factions, respecting their input when we ask for feedback, to create a more united and supportive environment.”