Candidate Stephen Heil emphasizes presence, strategic planning and school-community ties in Albert Lea superintendent interview

Stephen Heil, a finalist for the superintendent vacancy at Albert Lea Public School District, told the school board during a candidate interview that his top priorities would be being visibly present across schools, aligning spending with a written strategic plan and building relationships with students, staff and the wider community.

Heil said he believes presence is the first step in relationship-building: “You have to be present. You can’t build a relationship from afar,” he told the board. He described greeting preschoolers on the first day and handshaking graduates on the last day as concrete examples of that approach.

The board convened the hourlong interview with MSBA time signals and a set list of questions. Heil framed academics, supports and budgeting as elements that should flow from a district’s strategic plan, saying district- and school-level goals must “funnel down to the classroom.” He described using monthly cabinet and administrative…