Who's running for District 742 school board?

Candidates for the St. Cloud Area School District 742 School Board answered questions at a League of Women Voters St. Cloud Area forum Tuesday night at the District Administration Building in Waite Park.

All candidates were invited to the forum, though Yoanna Ayala-Zaldana did not attend.

The seven candidates present answered questions on a range of topics, including district funding, test scores and phones in classrooms and agreed on areas like the need for renovations at Apollo High School and a plan to improve graduation rates.

Candidates also said the board should not be the deciding authority on what books are available in schools.

They all supported a strict phone policy, with many supporting the current "away-for-the-day" approach used in elementary and middle schools. Diana Fenton said the high schools may also benefit from the stricter policy, and Monica Segura-Schwartz said the district must also consider the anxiety students feel when they are separated from their phones.

The board candidates also agreed on the need to improve teacher retention with better salaries and support. Current school board treasurer Scott Andreasen also suggested recruiting more student teachers from the area's colleges or employing foreign teachers, which other districts in the country have implemented.

All candidates criticized the state's special education cross-subsidy policy, which limits the difference between a district's special education spending and the revenue a district receives specifically for special education. However, multiple candidates said the subsidy is instead costing the school district money as the state has not fully covered the deficit.

"To bring (disadvantaged students) up to state standards takes extra effort and extra funding, and eventually, the state legislature needs to recognize that," candidate and past board member Bruce Hentges said.

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Who are the District 742 school board candidates?

Scott Andreasen is a current school board member and serves as the board's treasurer. He has run his own detective business, Scott Investigation, since 1983 and has served on the board for four years after previously running in 2014 and 2016. He considers himself a "finance guy." If re-elected, Andreasen wants to focus on making sure the district does not lose important money on the state cross-subsidy. He also wants to focus on ensuring safety in schools and secure entrances.

"I've been attending board meetings for years," he said. "I know the issues, I know the players."

Incumbent Al Dahlgren is currently vice chair of the school board and has been a member for 12 years. He previously worked in store management for JCPenney for 20 years, before opening a Once Upon a Child location in St. Cloud, which he continues to run alongside school board duties. He said the district is better than it gets credit for, especially as teachers must handle a large and diverse district, and he wants to make sure schools serve the area's diverse demographics.

"I want to continue to be able to work really really hard to try to better the students in this district," Dahlgren said. "I think we've come a long way, but I think we still have a long way to go."

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Diana Fenton has been involved in education for 24 years. She is currently an associate professor at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University and previously taught at both North Junior High School and St. Cloud Technical and Community College. She has experience in both science and technology and is passionate about technology integration in the classroom, though she supports some restrictions on cell phone use in school. Fenton said she also wants to address poor attendance, which she believes is the root cause behind the district's lower graduation rate.

"I think the district has strengths, but I feel like there might be some new opportunities with new voices," she said.

Current Board Chair Shannon Haws is also up for re-election. She grew up in St. Cloud and currently works as the general manager of Comfort Keepers In-Home Health Care in Waite Park and previously spent several years as a Head Start teacher in Alaska. If re-elected, Haws said she wants to prioritize small class sizes from kindergarten to third grade. She also said she takes a moderate approach to the school board by trying to bring people together despite differing viewpoints.

"Our students and staff need a school board that fully supports them," Haws said. "You're not just voting for individuals, you're building a team."

Bruce Hentges grew up in the St. Cloud area and taught and coached at several of the school district's schools before serving on the board from 2008-2016. He was also executive director of Local Education & Activities Foundation (LEAF) until his retirement this summer. If elected to the school board again, he wants to address issues with the state's funding of the special education cross-subsidy initiative and ensure that the proper resources are available to students from all backgrounds.

"I'm running again for the school board because I'm available and because of my passion for public education," Hentges said. "I believe that talent is distributed evenly among all groups, but that opportunity is not, and public education provides that opportunity."

Monica Segura-Schwartz, also an incumbent on the board, is running on issues including fostering a nurturing school environment, combatting bullying and building trust between the school district and community. She has lived in St. Cloud since 2001, when she came to study English at St. Cloud State University. Segura-Schwartz originally ran to bring more diversity to the board, and she wants to continue supporting a diversity of opinions while connecting with both the community and administration.

"I am here to work with the board, and I'm here to work with the administration, and I'm here to work with the community on how do we collaborate and make this partnership that is required to raise a child," she said.

Yoanna Ayala-Zaldana, who did not attend the forum, is running for school board for the first time this year. She is the community outreach and mobility specialist at Metro Bus and previously worked as a driver for the bus system.

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Teagan King covers business and development for the St. Cloud Times. She can be reached at teking@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Meet the candidates running for St. Cloud Area School Board