Sartell school contracts still in limbo after 3 board members are no-shows

SARTELL, Minn. — The nearly two dozen Sartell-St. Stephen school district jobs left in limbo last week remain in limbo after a Tuesday meeting where the three board members holding up the contracts didn't show up.

After months of bickering, the six-member board did not approve the contracts of 21 employees last week when Emily Larson, Jen Smith and Scott Wenshau again voted against the motion, saying they want the contracts to be voted on individually instead of all together.

Interim Superintendent Tom Lee warned board members that the employees would lose their jobs if the contracts weren't approved by July 1, which prompted Board Chair Tricia Meling to set a special meeting Tuesday to vote on the contracts. But without a majority of members present, no action could be taken.

"I am deeply saddened," she said Tuesday. "These positions are vital and the district will need to consider whether it can maintain all activities and services."

Meling, along with board members Matt Moehrle and Jason Nies, took a short recess just after 6 p.m. to try to call the no-show members. They returned to tell the room of more than 100 people — many wearing blue in support of the employees whose contracts were being voted on — that they could not reach their absent colleagues.

"If members could not attend in person, they had the option to appear here today remotely. Not one board member requested [that]," she said.

Larson, Smith and Wenshau released a joint statement on social media Sunday that reiterated their desire to vote on the contracts separately and called on Lee to cancel Tuesday's meeting due to scheduling conflicts. They have not responded to requests for comment by phone.

"We are resolute in our commitment to settle these contracts promptly while assuring our district remains accountable through its elected school board," read the statement, which cited a state statute that says school boards have the "authority to govern, manage and control the district."

At previous meetings, Larson and Smith have said they think board members have the ability to remove an agenda item that can stand on its own for individual consideration, such as the separate contracts. But Lee and some other board members have said they think that would set a dangerous precedent "that the board, with no supervisory responsibility, can pick somebody off that they just don't like."

Lee said Larson and Smith approached him a few months ago with concerns about an employee, but he did not think the concerns rose to the level of firing the employee or not renewing their contract. He then said he thought the actions of Larson, Smith and Wenshau seemed to be "an effort to get rid of an individual these board members have a vendetta against."

There were 21 contracts on Tuesday's agenda, though Lee had previously said 22 employees were on the list. The employees include directors of business services and human resources, as well as IT specialists who also provide services for the city of Sartell.

The Sartell City Council addressed the issue at its Monday meeting, where City Administrator Anna Gruber said the loss of IT employees will leave the city in the lurch and suggested they look for a private IT vendor, though it will "inevitably be significantly more expensive than what we have today."

Gruber said it would be "devastating" for the city to lose their IT colleagues.

"It is really hard to know that we may need to look elsewhere," she said, "but I just think we have to prioritize the operational stability of the city and our police and fire networks."

Larson, Smith and Wenshau were elected in 2022. They ran as a conservative slate, leading the district's teachers union to endorse candidates — three other candidates — for the first time in its history.

The board's infighting brought Sartell parent Josh Kerkvliet to Tuesday's meeting to hear about the issue firsthand. Though he said he thinks it makes sense to separate the contracts and look at each one on its merit, he's more concerned about finding a solution.

"I do think I represent the silent majority of the district. The silent majority is very moderate," he said. "This — what they have going on — none of us like. We don't want it. It's not good for the district. It's not good for the teachers. It's not good for the students."

Others, such as Sartell parent Rochelle Dyer, shared concerns about the slate's "very clear political agenda."

"It's unfortunate that our district is being held hostage," Dyer said. "Up until this point, even though many people with different ideologies have served as school board members, our school board has never been about the larger political happenings within our nation."

Meling said Tuesday she will schedule a meeting on Friday to vote on the contracts.