After 15 years as Spring Grove School’s superintendent, Rachel Udstuen submitted her resignation at the March 17 Spring Grove School Board Meeting. With many thanks for her service to the school district, the board accepted her resignation effective June 30, 2025.
In her letter of resignation, Udstuen reflected on her tenure, stating, “During my 15 years tenure as superintendent, I have witnessed the dedication, resilience, and passion that both our students and staff bring to this building every day. I would like to extend my gratitude to the school board, staff, parents and community for your trust, collaboration, and vision. Together, we’ve maintained the standard of excellence that our district is celebrated for in academics and co-curricular activities, and I am confident that the district will continue to thrive under new leadership. My connection to this community is strong, and Spring Grove will always remain my home.”
She also shared, “I’m not stepping away entirely; I plan to stay actively involved in both the community and the district activities.”
Additionally, Gina Morken announced that Udstuen will be honored on March 21 by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) as the 2025 Regional Administrator of Excellence for Region 1. According to MASA, the award recognizes administrators for their leadership, concern for students, and active involvement in professional and community affairs.
Board members present at the meeting included Board President Stephanie Jaster, Myriah Klug, Kelly Rohland, Lisa Myhre and Rhan Flatin.
The board unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included the meeting’s agenda, minutes from the February 18 regular board meeting, treasurer’s report and bills, and the resignations of school board member Angie Solie and Superintendent Udstuen. Solie was recognized for her contributions, with Udstuden praising her leadership.
Principal Luke Kjelland provided the board with a detailed list of important dates, including kindergarten round-up on Friday, March 28, and spring parent-teacher conferences on March 31 and April 3. The senior trip is scheduled for April 13-19, while spring break will take place April 17-21. Prom is the first Saturday in May. Graduation will be held on Friday, May 23, at the football field. He also addressed how construction will impact summer school, noting that the playground will be unavailable, so teachers will have to use the parks and classes will be limited to the elementary wing. This year, classes will run from 8-11 a.m. to take advantage of the cool morning air. Summer school is open to current kindergarten through sixth graders. The Kids Heart Challenge raised approximately $5,000 for the American Heart Association. Plans for next year’s schedule are underway. Based on teacher’s recommendations, they plan on going to go with two blocks and three skinnies. Band and choir will be every other day.
The construction project is progressing as planned. When the team began working on the floor, they discovered a sizable void on the highway side, likely caused by years of vibration and settling. This void has since been filled.
Board President Jaster presented a summary of last month’s closed session – Superintendent Udstuen annual evaluation, noting that Udstuen met or exceeded expectations in all 10 performance areas.
The board accepted the resignation of virtual counselor Darci Davis and custodian Benjamin Glass. In addition, the board approved contracts for assistant director of school performances Jennifer Solberg, senior high musical instrumental director Rachel Storlie, and senior high musical choreographer Kennedy Bornholdt.
In other business, the board:
- Approved the 2025-2026 school calendar, with the first day of school scheduled for Tuesday, September 2, 2025, and the last day of school on June 2, 2026, with an early dismissal at 1:30 p.m.
- Heard the first reading of the February 2025 model policy updates, personal electronic communication devices policy, and the school meals policy.
- Approved advertising for the board vacancy left by Solie.
The last order of business before adjourning the meeting at 8:31 p.m. was to establish a timeline for the superintendent search. Interviews will be open to the public, and the board unanimously agreed to appoint Udstuen’s successor at the April 21 regular school board meeting.
Leave a Reply