Superintendent Search

District 196 School Board selects Bolsoni to be next superintendent

After interviewing three finalists and deliberating publicly during a special meeting April 23, the District 196 School Board unanimously selected Director of Secondary Education Michael Bolsoni to be the district’s next superintendent, contingent on negotiating a contract with Bolsoni. He will replace Mary Kreger, who is retiring at the end of this school year after serving as superintendent of the state’s third-largest district for the last six years. Bolsoni is expected to take over as superintendent July 1.

The other two finalists the board interviewed are Thomas Ahart, an independent consultant and former superintendent of the Des Moines Public Schools, and Latanya Daniels, assistant superintendent of Richfield Public Schools.

“I am thrilled to welcome Michael Bolsoni as the next leader of our District 196 community,” said Board Chairperson Cory Johnson. “Michael brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, commitment to equity and inclusion, and exceptional thought leadership. I am confident he will be an exemplary leader to move our district forward.”

Bolsoni has 28 years experience working in District 196, starting in 1996 as a social studies teacher at the School of Environmental Studies. After 11 years teaching, he spent the next five years as a peer leader and instructional coach for the district’s Q Comp Program. In 2011, Bolsoni was named assistant administrator to both Valley Middle School and Apple Valley High School. Two years later, he became assistant principal at Apple Valley High, then served as principal from 2016 to 2019, spearheading implementation of the school’s E3 STEM Program and overseeing a significant school renovation project before he was named director of secondary education in 2019. In addition to overseeing the district’s middle schools and high schools, as a director Bolsoni helped develop and present two successful referendum election campaigns, was part of a team that led the district through the challenges of the pandemic, and has been instrumental in supporting efforts to enhance the district’s American Indian Education Program.

Bolsoni expressed appreciation for his selection, and added, “I will continue to be a champion for equitable, student-centered outcomes, and will lead collaboratively around our strategic priorities to achieve the mission of educating, developing and inspiring our students for lifelong success.”

Bolsoni holds a specialist degree in educational leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and a master’s degree in education from the University of Minnesota.

Bolsoni's selection is the culmination of a collaborative process that started in January after Kreger announced her plans to retire at the end of this school year and the board hired the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) to assist in the search. Early in the process, District 196 stakeholders were invited to provide input via an online survey on the qualities, characteristics, and priorities they desire in the district’s next superintendent. The insights collected guided the selection of six semifinalists, ultimately leading to the unanimous choice of the board to appoint Bolsoni as the next superintendent.

Search Timeline

February 28: MSBA posts position opening and advertises vacancy
February 28: Stakeholder survey available to the public
March 5: MSBA hosted virtual Q&A session via Zoom with school community
March 10: Stakeholder survey closes
March 21: Special School Board meeting: Interview Training, Stakeholder Report, and Interview Questions and Procedures
March 25: Deadline for applications
March 27: Applications available for board members to review
April 4: Special School Board meeting: Determine finalists, interview questions and procedures, review interview training
April 13: Special School Board meeting: Superintendent vacancy first interviews
April 23: Special School Board meeting: Superintendent vacancy final interviews and selection of finalist
May 6: Regular School Board meeting: Board approves contract with new superintendent
July 1: New Superintendent begins

Leadership Profile

Accomplished candidates will demonstrate expertise and successes in:

Innovative Leadership: Communicates a visionary approach for academic excellence, with the ability to engage diverse communities, build a culture of continuous growth and learning, and implement the district’s strategic roadmap.

Effective Delegation: Sets high expectations, delegates and motivates while coaching and maintaining accountability, all with a thorough knowledge of and successful experience in sound management practices.

Exceptional Communication Skills: Is a clear, articulate communicator with strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to listen and foster collaborative and visible work with board members, administration, teachers and staff, students, parents, community, and elected officials.

Commitment to Student Success: Proficient in identifying equity challenges and opportunities, implementing best practices, and fostering continuous improvement strategies that build pathways for personal and academic success for each and every student.

Deadline and Selection

MSBA’s Executive Search Service uses an online application process. Applicants begin the application process at mnmsba.myrevelus.com. To be considered for this position, an applicant’s completed file must be received prior to 11:59 p.m. on March 25, 2024.

View the District 196 Superintendent Vacancy Brochure.

Questions can be directed to MSBA’s District 196 Superintendent Search Team:

• Barb Dorn, bdorn@mnmsba.org or 507-508-5501
• John Ward, jward@mnmsba.org or 507-479-0935
• Craig Morris, cmorris@mnmsba.org or 612-834-0594

Applicants are requested to not contact school board members.

District 196 is an equal opportunity employer. The MSBA Executive Search Service is an equal opportunity search agency.

Community Engagement

District 196 held an MSBA Virtual Q & A regarding the superintendent search process on Tuesday, March 5, at 4:00 p.m. You can watch the MSBA's Q & A recording below. For information, contact Barb Dorn, MSBA Director of Leadership Development and Executive Search, at 507-508-5501.

WAtch Recording of MSBA's Q & A

In late February and early March, the School Board invited all District 196 stakeholders – parents/guardians, students, staff, community and business members – to complete an online survey to gather input on the qualities, characteristics, and priorities they desire in the district’s next superintendent. A total of 2,753 people completed the survey, which was conducted and analyzed by members of the Minnesota School Boards Association’s (MSBA) superintendent search service. The Stakeholder Report that MSBA presented to the board March 20 reflects stakeholder comments in the survey, which may not represent the views of MSBA or District 196.

Stakeholder Survey Results

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