Results of superintendent evaluation survey shared at Grand Forks School Board meeting

Grand Forks Herald By Carter DeJong Today at 9:10 PM Listen Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? GRAND FORKS — In what was an unusually brief meeting on Monday, the Grand Forks School board heard the results of the most recent survey regarding Superintendent Terry Brenner’s performance. All nine board members, as well the five members of the Grand Forks Air Force Base School Board, completed the survey. The results were not discussed during the meeting, but responses were included in documents attached to the agenda. ADVERTISEMENT “I have found interaction with Dr. Brenner in the weekly leadership meeting to be honest, collaborative and forthcoming on issues facing the district,” School Board President JoNell Bakke wrote in her evaluation. “He was uncomfortable about the majority change over in the board membership which he was very frank about. Despite these reservations, he was receptive to any suggested agenda changes.” Brenner is approaching the end of his 44-year career in public education, the last 31 of which he spent in Grand Forks. In September, he announced his retirement, with his last day set for June 30. The search is underway for Brenner’s replacement. Board members voted unanimously last month to hire a consultant to facilitate the search, which is expected to cost $20,000 to $50,000. Overall, Brenner received generally favorable marks in the surveys, with scores above 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all 40-plus categories. He received 11 effective or highly effective ratings regarding his leadership, while three members described him as partially effective. In her comments, Board member Bri Hall raised concerns over how discussion items are chosen for placement on the agenda. Specifically, she said some topics were discounted as “operational concerns.” “Some concerns have only been brought forward for discussion after members of the public raised them, rather than when board members initially sought to address them,” she wrote. “I would like to see a more transparent and collaborative process for deciding which topics are brought to the board, with greater consideration for board members’ requests to discuss district operations, particularly when those issues may affect policy and budget.” ADVERTISEMENT Eric Lunn, the board’s longest-serving member, had exclusively positive things to say about Brenner’s performance. “In spite of our budgetary constraints, Dr. Brenner has done an exceptional job facilitating the organization and evaluation of classroom and extracurricular programs in the district,” Lunn wrote. “He does an excellent job facilitating school board planning including frequent meetings with school board leadership, policy development and review, and monitoring all the various functions within the district.” On communication, the superintendent received a weighted average score of 3.29. Board member Lori Kraemer called attention to pushback the district received earlier this year after many parents were surprised by a reduction in special education paraprofessionals. “More proactive communication and action are needed to address ongoing staffing challenges,” she wrote. “I would like to see a much stronger focus on retention, support for current staff, and clear communication about the steps being taken to ensure the students get the support they need.” The board did not discuss any other items, or take any action at the meeting, which was adjourned in under an hour. Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? Tags Tags GRAND FORKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS By Carter DeJong Carter DeJong is the K-12 education reporter for the Grand Forks Herald. He previously spent two years covering education at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Alaska and one year with The Edwardsville Intelligencer in Illinois. He graduated from Indiana University in 2023 with a B.A. in journalism. He can be contacted at 574-298-1774 or [email protected]. 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