REGIONAL-In a 5-2 vote on Monday, the St. Louis County School Board approved the hiring of Reggie Engebritson as the district’s interim superintendent.

Engebritson has some familiarity with the district already, serving for the past ten years as the executive director of the Northland Learning Center, a special education cooperative with eleven area independent school districts. She also serves on the 2142 Administrative Team, and said she has built relationships with the district’s principals and special education teachers over the years. She described her management style as one that focuses on leadership development for principals and teachers, focusing on student-centered classroom focus-with rigor.

“Clarity, integrity, collaboration, continuity, as well as a sense of humor, are what I consider important tools for management. This is about providing academic excellence, what’s best for the kids. Kids don’t get a do-over when we have a teacher who is underperforming.”

Engebritson studied special education and received her master’s degree as well as her Administrative License from St. Cloud State University. She went on to obtain her Doctor of Education in Educational Policy and Administration from University of Minnesota.

Board member Pat Christianson told other members he had received some calls and emails with concerns about Engebritson being approachable, which board members had expressed was an important role of the superintendent position. A meeting to negotiate a contract will be held later this month. The board also interviewed former transportation director Ed Dorman and Kim Belcastro.