Terry Aslesen sees important work ahead as he seeks second Mitchell school board term

Yahoo

24-05-2025

May 23—EDITOR'S NOTE — This is the first of three profiles of candidates running for the Mitchell Board of Education on June 3. The profiles are presented in alphabetical order, beginning with Terry Aslesen. Profiles for candidates Kimberly Lofgren and Deb Olson will be published in future editions of the Mitchell Republic, respectively.
MITCHELL — Terry Aslesen has given decades of his life to education in the Mitchell School District.
An alum of the local public school system, he served as a teacher and administrator for 43 years, helping launch successful programs such as Second Chance High School and the dual credits program. Implementing block scheduling was another highlight of his time as a district employee.
Since retired, he ran for the Mitchell Board of Education in 2022, emerging as one of two candidates to top a field of six to take his first three-year term on the board. Currently seeking his second term, he said his motivation to serve the students and district remains the same since he first entered the field.
"I don't think anything's more important than education," Aslesen told the Mitchell Republic in a recent interview. "And you can't stay excellent if you stay the same. The world is evolving and changing so quickly, so you have to constantly be looking at — how do we get better?"
Aslesen, 68, wrestled with that question in his first term. He said he's seen progress in the right direction during his time on the board.
As part of the board, he has established himself as a member with broad institutional knowledge, with extensive experience as a student, teacher and principal. He reaches back into his own history with the district for perspective on today's educational environment, often spurring discussion on spending, policy reform and student opportunity.
His approach puts the student educational experience at the forefront, he said, and one of the most important factors in that formula is having good teachers at the head of the classroom. Aslesen said changing and streamlining policies for bereavement leave, improved salaries, professional and sick leave and the extra-curricular pay helped make the district a more appealing environment for high-grade instructors.
"If you don't have great teachers, you'll never have a great school, no matter what you do. It doesn't matter how good the buildings you have are or what curriculum you have, it starts with teachers," Aslesen said. "We had some horrible policies. We had two sets of policies on several things."
Aslesen was pleased with other aspects of the last three years. The addition of an attendance liaison and literacy coaches to the staff have helped take steps toward addressing attendance issues and improving student reading skills. He stood firm when he felt the board hastily approved a new fingerprinting policy for visitors to the school, and lobbied to have it modified to be more welcoming to parents who want to take part in classroom activities, or to volunteers with organizations like Junior Achievement, who share real-world life and job experiences with students.
The addition of all-day begindergarten and the approval of new cell phone policies for the high school and middle school were also positive developments in his time on the board, he said. And he has enthusiastically embraced board planning session meetings, which are now held on occasion to give the board time to discuss short and long term goals without the pressure of the need for immediate vote on a subject.
And, of course, the new high school building that is nearing completion and will welcome district staff and students at the start of the 2025-26 school year, is a major improvement to the district. Aslesen was a prime proponent of building the school and its accompanying athletic facilities at the same time instead of over a period of years after the COVID-19 pandemic spiked construction prices.
He strongly believes that was the correct move, and credits the public with making that a reality after a bond vote to complete the work passed with an overwhelming majority.
Aslesen said his experience and input from the public and his fellow board members guide him in his decision-making process. He listens, he asks questions and tries to take in the perspective of all district patrons. Working together is important to ensuring the best educational experience for the students, he said.
"I have a lot of community input that I'm receiving and you got to listen. You don't always have to agree, but you got to listen," he said. "Sometimes, out of the blue, you get some of the best ideas given to you that you've ever heard, or somebody improves on something. All of us are smarter than any one of us, so I try to get feedback whenever I get the opportunity."
As he eyes a second term, Aslesen said there is more work on the horizon.
With the new high school nearing completion, the board can now look at other upgrades that may be needed. Air conditioning is needed at the gymnasiums at the middle school and L.B. Williams Elementary School, he said. The middle school gym also could use LED lighting.
He also hopes to have more discussion on the fate of the old MHS. Some parts of it, such as locker rooms and parking for football games or track meets, could still be utilized to benefit the district, he said. Another option could be offering it to the city or county as potential office space, or repurposing it for daycare or apartments.
When it comes to the students themselves, Aslesen would like to see even more kids taking part in activities, a proven method for keeping attendance figures high. To enhance that further, it might be worth exploring a four-day school week, he said. Under that setup, away activities could be scheduled primarily on Fridays and Saturdays, while home activities could still be held during the week.
That's less time on the road during class time and more time in the classroom for students, Aslesen said.
"It's something worth looking into. We always need to be evolving and we keep adding and adding activities, and kids keep missing more and more and more school time. And the research says that it's not good for the kids to miss what's in the classroom. Just like attendance, if the kids aren't there, they're not learning everything they're supposed to be learning as much as they could be," said Aslesen. "So I'd like to see if there are opportunities for us to restructure so that activity kids wouldn't miss as much."
He is also interested in exploring the benefits of opportunities like the Careers class, a semester-long class that sees students hear from parents or other community leaders about professions around Mitchell. The class is still offered but not required, something Aslesen feels could be beneficial.
There is work to do and discussions to be held, but he's looking forward to the challenges and whatever the future may hold.
"I think that I would be a vote for making their schools for the children in this community the best they can possibly be. I'm constantly looking for how we can make it better. Because if you're not moving forward, you're going backwards," Aslesen said.
The election for the Mitchell Board of Education will be held Tuesday, June 3. Absentee voting has begun and can be done at the Davison County Auditor's Office until 5 p.m. June 2, and voters will be able to vote in person June 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Davison County Fairgrounds.