School board meeting addresses alleged unauthorized buyout offer for Superintendent Ludvigson

The Long Prairie-Grey Eagle School District board held a special meeting Sept. 4 to address questions about an alleged unauthorized buyout offer for Superintendent Daniel Ludvigson. Chair Lemke opened the meeting saying it had been called by members Gohman, Tonder and Wolf to discuss the matter; she asked Ludvigson whether he was waiving his rights, and he denied doing so.

Board member Gohman read a note from absent member Wolf asking who authorized the proposed buyout offer and who gave a lawyer permission to present it to Ludvigson. Multiple board members asked whether legal counsel had been consulted before the lawyer contacted the superintendent. Chair Lemke told the board she had given lawyer Kristi Hastings permission to have a conversation and present an offer; Ludvigson told his mentor on several occasions that he was not interested in leaving or in a buyout.

Board members Tonder and Gohman moved to allow public comment, after which several community members and teachers raised concerns about the process and called for clarity about who authorized any buyout discussions. No formal vote on a superintendent contract or separation was recorded at the meeting. The meeting record notes that Wolf was absent and that the meeting concluded without any reported agreement to a buyout.

The special meeting did not produce a formal board decision about Ludvigson’s contract; board members and community speakers instead asked for further transparency. The board adjourned at 7:02 p.m. and did not announce any next steps for fact-finding or a formal vote during the session.