March 12, 2024

At a special board meeting on March 11, 2024, the Sartell-St. Stephen School Board voted unanimously to select Dr. Michael Rivard as the district’s next superintendent.

In addition to school board member evaluations of each candidate’s answers, 16 individuals representing stakeholder groups across the district also provided input on each candidate’s strengths and areas of growth. Reference check reports were provided by board members who had done additional vetting on the three finalists after the first round of interviews as well. School board members considered all this information during their deliberations prior to making a final selection.

School Board Chair Tricia Meling shared, “the school board was impressed with Dr. Rivard’s experience and his strong connection with our community. We are grateful for all of the candidates who applied for the position. We appreciate everyone who attended the interviews and our stakeholders who helped us make this important decision.”

The School Board will be conducting contract negotiations with Rivard and a contract is expected to be approved by the School Board at their next regular meeting on March 18. 

The pending start date for Dr. Michael Rivard will be July 1, 2024. Rivard is the assistant superintendent for St. Cloud Area Schools.

The contract for Tom Lee, interim superintendent for the District since July 1, 2023, will expire on June 30, 2024. 

Additional details are at www.isd748.org/superintendent_search. Please contact Barb Dorn, MSBA Director of Leadership Development and Executive Search, at 507-508-5501 with questions.