Brainerd board narrowly limits Minnesota Student Survey to 11th graders after heated debate

The Brainerd Public School Board voted to offer the Minnesota Student Survey to 11th-grade students only after extended public comment and board deliberation.

The decision followed public comments expressing sharply different views about the statewide survey. During public input, Rick Feldt of Brainerd told the board the survey asks questions beyond the authority of state and federal constitutions and warned of a student exodus tied to perceived curriculum changes. "I turn over my children to the guardianship of the school, but they are thinking that they are now the parents and they're teaching my kids stuff that only parents should be teaching," Feldt said. Tony Bauer urged the board "not to participate in the survey," calling parts of it "social engineering." By contrast, Dan Hegstedt said the survey and similar data "help schools, committees, communities, and state and local agencies make better decisions about youth programs and services." Pat Dixon noted the Minnesota Student Survey is a longtime, triennial instrument used by multiple state agencies and argued that excluding grades would lose longitudinal data for fifth and eighth graders.

Board members disagreed on the scope. Director Randy Heidman said the board needed to avoid a split 3–3 result and cited legal counsel advising that a majority decision is required; he advocated pausing broader participation if the board could not reach a majority. Director Stephanie Ederman moved to offer the survey to grades 8, 9 and 11; that motion drew a lengthy discussion. Director Deja Donnellinger later amended the motion to offer the survey to 11th graders only. The amendment passed and the board then approved the motion as amended.

Superintendent Peter Grant described the board’s options and said the district had originally listed an item to opt out of grades 5 and 8. Grant also read guidance from counsel about majority requirements if the board becomes evenly split. Several board members raised concerns about whether federal or state funding might be affected by participation; board members both for and against participation referred to recent national and state political debates over DEI and federal funding. Director John Ward urged compromise: "You can't go home and pound the table. You gotta compromise," he said during deliberations.

The board did not adopt a districtwide opt-out; instead it limited participation this year to 11th graders. The vote was taken by voice for the amendment and then for the final motion; a recorded roll call was not read into the public minutes for the final outcome.