Latest news with #Walbruch
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As incoming superintendent of Byron Public Schools, Nate Walbruch says he plans to stay for the 'long-term'
May 4—BYRON, Minn. — Despite the challenges facing the district, Nate Walbruch is confident he can help Byron Public Schools regain its footing as he gets ready to take the helm as the incoming superintendent — a role he plans to hold for the foreseeable future. Walbruch accepted the position in April and will officially step into the role in July. He will have to hit the ground running as the district prepares to hold another referendum to ask residents to increase their tax contribution with an operating levy, while also helping to rebuild trust between the district and the community it serves. It will be a situation similar to one he's already experienced at the district he currently leads: Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted west of the Twin Cities. "When I arrived at HLWW, the district found itself in some very difficult financial situations," Walbruch said. "I felt like Byron really matched the kind of situation that I could bring something to." In November, Byron voters rejected a request for more funding for the school system, leaving district leaders with the task of having to make more than $1 million in budget cuts. It also left the district with the renewed task of convincing voters that investing in the school system is the right decision and that they can trust the district leaders who are proposing it. During his final interview, the Byron School Board asked Walbruch what his plan would be for another referendum. In response, he spent 20 minutes talking about how he would help the district navigate the process. "I can appreciate that the public has a lot of questions about the state of the district," Walbruch told the Post Bulletin. "Job one is going to be working with the community leadership and community members to reestablish trust." The Byron School Board offered him the role after an extended discussion and a split vote about whether he was the right candidate for the position. Byron's current superintendent, Mike Neubeck, announced in December that he would resign in June. The School Board spent part of that discussion on rumors that had spread about Walbruch — including those in an anonymous email sent to the district that the board members found to be unsubstantiated. "There was nothing to those accusations in the email," School Board member Alisha Eiken said during the discussion about whether to offer Walbruch the position. Board member Kelli Crary commented on the situation as well, pointing out the broader context in which it was rooted. "I think it's noteworthy as well that a lot of the allegations are at a specific school that happened to be during COVID," she said. "I think a lot of schools had issues during COVID." An independent source outside the Byron School Board also confirmed to the Post Bulletin that the accusations in the email submitted to the school board were unfounded. Another part of the board's discussion was about whether Walbruch would be with the district long enough to make a difference. Walbruch has been the superintendent of Howard Lake Waverly-Winsted since 2023. Prior to that, he was the principal of Rochester's Century High School from 2021-23, and the principal of Plainview-Elgin-Millville High School from 2016-21. Minnesota law requires school districts to renegotiate contracts with their superintendents every three years, and the relatively high turnover rate of superintendents is not uncommon. Originally from Rochester and a graduate of Mayo High School, the role in Byron will bring Walbruch closer to home. In addition to Byron, he also had interviewed for the role of superintendent at the neighboring district of Kasson-Mantorville. Walbruch's current district has a student population of 1,312, Byron Public Schools has a student population of 2,342. He described Byron as being "big enough to have the flexibility to do some unique things" while also being small enough that he can know "every staff member and a lot of the students." "My intent for Byron is to stay there for the long-term," Walbruch told the Post Bulletin. "I want to not only help guide the district through its current struggles and put it on stable footing, but also help it make a plan for what comes next."
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Century principal named semi-finalist for Kasson-Mantorville superintendent position
Mar. 18—KASSON, Minn. — Former Century High School Principal Nate Walbruch is one of six semi-finalists for the role of superintendent at Kasson-Mantorville Public Schools. The school district announced the list of candidates on Tuesday, March 18. The Kasson-Mantorville School Board will hold interviews with the candidates on three days between March 19-28. The current superintendent of Kasson-Mantorville, Ted Ihns, announced his resignation in January, halfway through his first year in the position. Walbruch is currently the superintendent of Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Public Schools, which is west of the Twin Cities. He was the principal of Century High School for two years from 2021-23. In addition to Walbruch, the district is considering several other candidates with Rochester-area ties. One of them is Tammy Champa, who formerly served as the superintendent of Pine Island Public Schools for 11 years before taking the same role at Hastings School District. The list also includes one person already at Kasson-Mantorville Public Schools. Ashley Kaplan is the district's director of student and staff support systems and the director of teaching and learning. The full list of candidates includes: * Tamara Champa, superintendent, Hastings Public Schools, Minnesota * Daniel Edwards, executive director of academic services, Prior Lake — Savage Area Schools, Minnesota * Beth Giese, superintendent, Kenyon-Wanamingo Public Schools, Minnesota * Steven Heil, superintendent, St. James Public Schools, Minnesota * Ashley Kaplan, director of student and staff support systems/director of teaching and learning, Kasson-Mantorville Public Schools, Minnesota * Nate Walbruch, superintendent, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Public Schools, Minnesota
