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Brainerd board reviews 1,284-response stakeholder report and sets timeline for superintendent search

Brainerd School Board · January 13, 2026
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Summary

The Brainerd School Board reviewed a 1,284-response stakeholder survey, agreed to post the summary online and set interview timelines: application deadline Jan. 18, finalist recommendations Jan. 26, round‑one interviews Feb. 2–3 and round‑two tours/interviews Feb. 10. The board discussed how to include public input while protecting applicant privacy.

The Brainerd School Board on Jan. 12 reviewed a stakeholder summary compiled for the district's superintendent search and agreed to post the report on the district's search landing page.

Barb Dorn, a consultant with the Minnesota School Boards Association, told the board, "We had 1,284 people take the survey," and described the respondent mix: about 56% parents or guardians, roughly 21% staff, 9% students and about 10% community members. Dorn said the top technical priorities were budget and finance, collaborative leadership and curriculum, while respondents consistently named honesty, ethics and communication among desired personal characteristics.

Why it matters: The board is using the stakeholder input together with its leadership profile to shape interview questions and to guide selection of finalists. Dorn outlined the search timeline: application materials are due by midnight Jan. 18, the board will review materials and Dorn will recommend a slate on Jan. 26, round‑one interviews are scheduled Feb. 2–3 and round‑two tours/interviews Feb. 10. Names of finalists become public at the Jan. 26 meeting and will be posted online in accordance with data-privacy guidance.

Board members asked how the public should be involved in later stages. Dorn offered three options for Round Two: rely on the stakeholder summary as the community voice; form small, advisory interview committees of representative stakeholders; or let designated community observers watch interviews and submit standardized strengths/weaknesses feedback. Dorn warned the board about online portals that can be gamed, saying past forms were overwhelmed by campaign-style submissions and became "useless data."

Dorn also reviewed legal and privacy rules for the process, advising the board not to ask protected-class questions and reminding members that applicants' names are private until finalists are announced. She instructed members to avoid discussing candidate materials in public places and to treat individual notes as subject to data requests.

Next steps: Board members agreed to review the suggested interview questions in the packet and mark 10–15 they favor; the group may finalize the questions at the Jan. 26 meeting. The search firm will post the stakeholder summary on the district site the following day to inform candidates and the public.