School board interviews six

Cloquet school board members interviewed six people who applied to fill a soon-to-be vacant school board seat. Board member Sarah Plante-Buhs ran for and was elected to the Carlton County Board of Commissioners. She will take her county board seat and vacate her school board seat in early January.

The school board will announce its choice Jan. 6

The six candidates — Ted Lammi, Jason Loons, Brendon McKeon, Robert Peacock, Nate Sandman and Shaun Williams — applied to serve the last two years of Buhs’ term. Only Sandman and Lammi have prior experience on the board.

Board members Hawk Huard, Dave Battaglia and Melissa Juntunen and two newly elected board members, Nichole Diver and LeAnn Butler, interviewed the six men. The board committee set aside a half-hour for each interview Monday, asking the candidates about their backgrounds, what they perceive as school district strengths and weaknesses, time commitment, as well as their approaches to building trust and transparency. They asked each one to share a personal experience with a difficult decision and to “sell the board” on why they were the best candidate for the job.

After the interviews, each committee member submitted their top two preferences. Selected as board chairman for the meeting Monday, Dave Battaglia said it was close, but they selected a candidate who will be offered the job at the next school board meeting Jan. 6. He declined to share the name of the selected candidate.

~ By Jana Peterson