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Education News
Elizabeth Shockman
St. Paul

St. Paul schools set to pick next superintendent

A man speaks outside
St. Paul school board members on Thursday are expected to announce their choice for a superintendent to replace Joe Gothard, who left the district in the summer to head the Madison, Wis., schools.
Tim Nelson | MPR News 2021

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After more than six months of searching, St. Paul school board members Thursday night are expected to announce the district’s next superintendent.

Three finalists — Brenda Cassellius, Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed and Stacie Stanley — all have experience running school systems. All three are women of color. 

Cassellius served as Minnesota’s education commissioner under Gov. Mark Dayton and spent several years leading the Boston Public Schools. 

In her public interview this week, Cassellius said her own background and experience growing up in Minneapolis with a single mom meant it was important to her to work with children from diverse backgrounds, saying she wanted to “pay it forward and wake up every day to make a difference for children.”

Mhiripiri-Reed has led the Hopkins Public School district since 2017. In her interview with the board on Monday, she spoke about why she was seeking the top position in St. Paul Public Schools.

“I believe that this work of transforming outcomes for students — especially those who have been historically marginalized and failed by their public school system here in this wealthy country — I believe that this work requires a moral compass,” Mhiripiri-Reed said. “I have that moral compass.”

Stanley is currently superintendent at Edina Public Schools. In her public interview Wednesday night, she spoke about her experience attending St. Paul Public Schools as a student and her leadership style. 

“I am community-oriented. I have had success with engaging in community no matter what community I am in. I say that there are four things that define my leadership and the first thing is deeply embedding myself in the community that I serve in. St. Paul is my community because I grew up here,” Stanley said.

The board’s choice will take the helm of the state’s second largest district with a $1 billion dollar budget and nearly 70 school buildings attended by more than 33,000 students. 

Among the challenges the new superintendent will face is reconciling a large budget deficit that may involve cuts beyond the reductions to custodial, food service and other programs the district sustained in 2024.