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Council interviews multiple school-board candidates as Rochester prepares to pick superintendent candidate
Summary
City council interviewed candidates to fill two school-board seats and heard repeated calls for greater transparency in public comment, improved follow-up on citizen concerns, and a focused superintendent search with selection scheduled for Sept. 2; candidates emphasized special education, budgeting and career-technical training.
The Rochester City Council interviewed more than a dozen applicants on Aug. 19, 2025, to fill two vacancies on the School Board and heard recurring themes from candidates and councilors: a need for improved transparency and follow-up on public comments, concern about school budgets amid state funding shifts, and the importance of selecting a superintendent capable of delivering a clear vision.
Mayor Callahan opened the candidate interviews. Several applicants described personal and professional experience they said would inform their service.
Alisa Kahlberg, a Ward 4 resident and city IT employee, said she wants to support teachers and advance process improvements. "I have a background in business and in lean processes...I think it really gives me the skill to help centralize some of the needs that our school might have," she said.
Anne Grassi, a former school-board member, said she would prioritize improved…
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