School Board Names Haws Chair, Turns Focus to Normalcy and Equity

ST. CLOUD -- The new year means a fresh start for the St. Cloud school board. The board held their annual reorganization meeting last week to get settled for 2021.

Shannon Haws took over the chair position following the exit of Jeff Pollreis. She says in her fifth year and second term, she felt ready to take on the responsibility of leading the board.

It is an important role to balance the different opinions and individuals on the school board.

Haws says her time serving as vice chair alongside Pollreis was a great learning experience.

I certainly have been contemplating stepping into this role for a while now knowing that eventually, I would like to be there, but I wanted to feel confident.

Other changes include Al Dahlgren’s move to vice chair and Monica Segura-Schwartz stepping into the role of treasurer. Les Green continues his role as clerk.

Other members include Zachary Dorholt, Natalie Ringsmuth, and new addition Scott Andreasen.

Haws says because of his previous involvement in other district committees, the board is already quite familiar with Andreasen.

We feel very comfortable with who he is and what he stands for and his passions because he has been very involved with community education and the finance committee.

Haws says with such a solid team they can really hit the ground running and there are a few things she wants to focus on in 2021.

I'm very eager to get us back to normal just as the community, the students, and the families are. And then I think my passion is to continue that equitable access - that opportunity for every child and for every family - to continue that whether we're in the pandemic or post-pandemic.

The St. Cloud school board meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month.