VIRGINIA- A parent of North Woods School students took the ISD 2142 school board to task Tuesday night over the confusion and frustration created when third grade class assignments were unexpectedly shifted just days before school started.
Rhonda Gabrielson told board members that parents and children were blindsided at the North Woods open house when the class configuration they had been told to expect – three mixed second and third grade classrooms – turned out to be something else entirely. Instead, families discovered there would be one second grade class, one third grade class, and just a single blended classroom, leaving nine third graders separated from their peers.
Gabrielson, who works in social services, said she was speaking as a parent. She thanked the board for moving quickly to correct the situation after complaints surfaced and singled out North Woods representatives Mallory Manick and Jarrett Bundy for their efforts. But she also stressed that the last-minute change had shaken parents’ confidence in how decisions were being made and communicated.
“There were a minimum of nine families unhappy and justifiably might have been considering moving schools,” she said, adding that some told her directly they had thought about transferring their children.
For the nine students affected, the changes carried real emotional consequences. Gabrielson described one child who lost a parent last year and was devastated to find themselves placed apart from friends. Another student, eager to start the year as a third grader, missed the first two days due to anxiety. Others were embarrassed when they arrived with the wrong supplies, prepared for third grade but assigned to the combined class, and felt singled out in the first week.
Parents, she said, were left to speculate whether individualized education plans, past attendance, or other issues influenced the decision. The greater frustration, Gabrielson added, came from a lack of communication – families only discovered the assignments from class rosters posted at the open house, with no explanation from school officials.
“We must acknowledge the potential lasting effects of this decision and never let this happen again,” Gabrielson said.
Friday care cut back
The district’s experiment with Friday child care under the new four-day school week is already being scaled back after attendance numbers came in lower than expected.
Program administrator Kim Jordan told the board that the Friday program will be discontinued at Northeast Range and Cherry schools on Oct. 10. Attendance there averaged just one or two students, she said, a number too low to justify keeping staff in place.
At North Woods, attendance has been stronger, averaging five to seven students each week, while South Ridge has seen numbers that fluctuate from just a handful to as many as 16, Jordan said. Both programs will continue for now, with a reevaluation scheduled in November.
The district had hoped Friday care would fill a gap for families adjusting to the four-day week, but Jordan said the reality at some sites made the effort unsustainable.
Manick described the possibility of the Cook Community Center offering Friday child care there, as the facility is now open on Fridays. The center could offer a variety of enrichment activities and provide supervision, and the program would be free, Manick said. School officials agreed to contact community center representatives to explore options for collaboration.
While attendance is the deciding factor in whether sites stay open, staffing remains a challenge across the board. Jordan said administrators are leaning on high school students to help cover shifts and ensure two staff members are always on duty, particularly at North Woods, where demand has been consistent. Recruiting and retaining enough workers for Fridays has proven difficult, she added, though the weekday before- and after-school care programs are running more smoothly.
Superintendent search
Before taking up the question of how to find a new superintendent, the board voted unanimously to continue its collaborative agreement with the Mt. Iron-Buhl district. While some details may be adjusted in a new contract, both districts are committed to continuing the shared arrangement after the retirement of current superintendent Reggie Engebritson next June.
The more contentious issue was how to conduct the search itself. Board member Jarret Bundy moved that the district handle the process in-house, an approach he argued would save money and allow the board to first see what kind of applicant pool might emerge.
“We should get quite a few,” Bundy said. “If we don’t like them, we can go this road. We’re in no hurry to get the first pool. We need to find the right person, the right fit for our district.”
Others pushed back, led by board member Chris Koivisto. He said a professional search conducted by the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) would bring needed expertise, a broader reach, and a more rigorous screening process.
“It’s a big job, the search is a big job, and it takes a lot of time,” Koivisto said. “You’re bird-dogging applicants. Who would know how to start making phone calls? I’m concerned about entrusting our future superintendent to an in-house process.”
Bundy’s motion to go it alone failed on a 4-3 vote.
Koivisto then moved that the district hire MSBA to conduct a full search, with the condition that a school board representative be included in the initial screening of applicants. That sparked objections from Ron Marinaro, who argued the full board should have the opportunity to review all applications.
“We just got to see all the apps,” Marinaro said. “Anybody that’s qualified, let’s see them.”
Despite the reservations, Koivisto’s motion carried on a 4-3 vote, setting the district on course for an outside-led search.
Levy outlook clouded
Finance director Kim Johnson told the board that Minnesota’s Department of Education has complicated this year’s levy process by rolling out new software that delayed districts from entering information. The school board itself does not set the levy — it is calculated by state formulas — but districts are required to certify preliminary figures by the end of September.
Johnson walked the board through the numbers line by line, but the key points were clearer. The total market value of property in the district has increased by about 8.4 percent. Last year’s levy was also affected by oversights at the state level, which failed to account for certain exceptions and left the district shorted on revenue.
“The best estimate right now is about a $681,000 increase in the levy this year,” Johnson said.
The board approved the maximum levy possible, which is typical at this stage, with the final levy to be set in December.
Other business
In other business, the board:
• Heard a report from VinE executive director Teresa de Venecia about the positive impacts the volunteer tutoring program is having not only on children’s academic performance, but on their levels of self-esteem and positive social engagement with the learning environment.
• Hired Scout Aiken as a part time elementary math teacher at Northeast Range.
• Hired Valerie Hernandez as a specialized services worker at Tower-Soudan.
• Hired Eric Slininger as a specialized services worker at North Woods.
• Hired Sarah Hansen as a part time outdoor learning teacher at T-S.
• Hired Emily Baraga to a full-time equivalent position as an elementary and Title I teacher at NW.
• Hired Laura Saarela as a part time early childhood educator and outdoor learning teacher at NW.
• Hired Jasmine Jam as a part time elementary specialist at NW.
• Hired Dawn Merrill as a part time elementary language arts teacher at NER.
• Hired Julie Poderzay as a part time early childhood educator at NER.
• Hired Genevieve Krebsbach as a part time library assistant at NW.
• Hired Rebecca Sarazine and Trudy Pelach as paraprofessionals at NW.
• Hired Brieann Wytaske, Nicole Rinas, Olivia Bjork, and Rhonda Akemann as paraprofessionals at NER.
• Hired Brenden Chiabotti as a paraprofessional at T-S.
• Hired Jennifer Kinler as part time teacher aide at NW.
• Hired Mary Hewitt as a part time teacher aide at NER.
• Hired Dan Squires as a part time bus driver at NW.
• Hired Cade Gornick as a substitute van driver at T-S.
• Hired Terry Carlson as a substitute van driver at NW.
• Hired Ruth Porter as cheerleading sponsor at NW.
• Formally accepted the retirement of Superintendent Reggie Engebriston, effective June 30, 2026.
• Acccepted additional retirements of NW bus driver Gary Lindsey and NER paraprofessional Karen Klatt.
• Accepted resignations from NER paraprofessionals Serena Chavez, Olivia Bjork, and Sherri Elg; NW teacher aide Trudy Pelach; NW assistant volleyball coach Cherie Seopa; and NER golf coach Adam Hagen.