News
Introducing our next
Executive Director!
Dr. Jennifer Fuchs
St. Croix Preparatory Academy Families, Staff, and Community,
On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Jennifer Fuchs as the next Executive Director of St. Croix Preparatory Academy. This decision marks an exciting new chapter in our school’s history, and we are confident Dr. Fuch's leadership will continue to uphold and enhance the mission and values that define St. Croix Prep.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all members of our community who participated in this important process. Your engagement—whether through submitting questions, attending forums, providing feedback, or serving on committees—was invaluable in helping us reach this decision. The dedication and thoughtful input from students, parents, staff, leadership, and community members exemplify the collaborative spirit that makes St. Croix Prep such a special place.
Throughout this process, transparency and inclusivity remained our guiding principles. From the initial planning stages to the final selection, we prioritized open communication and sought input from various stakeholders. This approach ensured that every voice was heard and strengthened our commitment to finding the best leader for our community.
Dr. Fuchs brings a wealth of experience, passion for education, and a deep understanding of the importance of classical education and our mission-driven curriculum. We are excited about the vision and dedication she will bring to our school as we pursue excellence in academics, character development, leadership, and community engagement.
We are entering contract negotiations with Dr, Fuchs, with formal approval of the contract scheduled to take place at the March 4, 2025, school board meeting.The meeting will take place at 4:00 pm.
As we prepare for this transition, we are eager to support Dr. Fuchs in getting to know our community and partnering with all of you to shape the future of St. Croix Prep. Your continued collaboration will be essential as we move forward together.
Thank you once again for your unwavering support and dedication to our school. We look forward to this next chapter with great anticipation and excitement.
With gratitude and enthusiasm,
Bob Hajlo,
St. Croix Prep Board - Chair
Terri Gulbransen
St. Croix Prep Board - Vice Chair
Round 2 Finalists announced:
Sunday, February 23
The St. Croix Preparatory Academy School Board has decided to advance three candidates to Round 2 Interviews:
1st Round Interview Schedule:
Board Letter Announcing ROUND 1 SEMI-FINALISTS
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
St. Croix Preparatory Academy Families, Staff, and Community,
We are excited to announce that the school board has approved five candidates to advance to the next phase of the Executive Director selection process.
The application period closed on January 20, 2025, with a strong pool of 15 candidates. Following a thorough vetting process—which included feedback from our administrative team, leadership team, curriculum leaders, succession planning committee, and the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA)—we narrowed the field to seven candidates. Over the past week, we conducted in-depth research and brief screening interviews with each of these candidates. Based on the interviews, reference checks, and continuous feedback from our review groups, we have selected five highly qualified candidates to move forward.
The following candidates were publicly announced at the school board meeting held yesterday evening. In no particular order, they will participate in Round 1 of the Executive Director interview process on Saturday, February 22, 2025:
- Mr. Adam Holm - St. Cloud Area Schools
- Dr. Michael Neubeck - Byron Public Schools
- Dr. Jennifer Fuchs - New London-Spicer Schools
- Dr. Joseph Hill - Higher Performance Group
- Dr. Jeremy Perrin - Discovery School
We look forward to engaging with each candidate and encourage you to attend the public interviews. Your involvement is vital to the strength of this process.
One key opportunity for community engagement is the Community Q&A session scheduled for February 25, 2025. This session allows you to hear directly from the final candidates. To ensure a productive and inclusive discussion, we invite you to submit your questions in advance using the link below. All submissions will be reviewed, and similar questions will be grouped by theme to provide comprehensive coverage. While we aim to address as many topics as possible, please note that not every individual question may be answered.
MEET THE
CANDIDATES
FORUM
February 25, 2025
We encourage all community members to participate actively by:
- Submitting questions for the Community Q&A session
- Attending public board meetings to observe the interview process
If you have further questions, feel free to reach out to Bob Hajlo or Terri Gulbransen directly.
Thank you for your continued engagement and support as we work together to select the next leader of St. Croix Preparatory Academy.
Sincerely,
Bob Hajlo,
St. Croix Prep Board - Chair
Terri Gulbransen
St. Croix Prep Board - Vice Chair
Board Letter Announcing Executive Director Search
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
St. Croix Preparatory Academy Families, Staff, and Community,
Welcome back from your winter break! As the Chair and Vice-Chair of the school board, we are excited to provide our second update regarding the ongoing search and hiring process for our next Executive Director.
Timeline of the Executive Director Search Process
Over the past few months, the board has been hard at work preparing for the upcoming interviews with potential candidates. The position was officially posted on November 25, 2024, and applications will be accepted until January 20, 2025. Below is a detailed timeline of key events following the application deadline:
- Board Determines Finalists
- February 4, 2025 - Public Board Meeting
- 6:00pm
- St. Croix Prep Orchestra Room 203
- First-Round Interviews
- February 22, 2025 - Public Board Meeting
- 8:00am
- St. Croix Prep Orchestra Room 203
- Community Q&A – “Meet the Candidates”
- February 25, 2025 - Public Meeting in PAC
- 5:00pm
- PAC (Performing Arts Center)
- Second-Round Interviews
- February 26, 2025 - Public Board Meeting
- 5:00pm
- St. Croix Prep Orchestra Room 203
- Board Approves Contract
- March 4, 2025 - Public Board Meeting
- 5:00pm
- St. Croix Prep Orchestra Room 203
- Executive Director Starts
- July 1, 2025
Community Involvement: Submit Your Questions!
We believe this process is stronger with the involvement of our community. One key opportunity for engagement is the Community Q&A session on February 25, 2025, where you can hear directly from the final candidates.
To ensure a productive and inclusive session, we invite you to submit your questions in advance. Please use the link below to the question submission form and submit your questions. All submissions will be reviewed, and similar questions will be grouped by theme to make the session as comprehensive as possible. Please note that while we aim to address as many topics as possible, not every individual question may be answered.
MEET THE
CANDIDATES
FORUM
February 25, 2025
Save the Date
Mark your calendars for the “Meet the Candidate” night on February 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM in the Performing Arts Center at St. Croix Preparatory Academy.
Stay Involved
- Submitting Questions for the Community Q&A session.
- Attending Public Board Meetings to observe the interview process.
If you have further questions, feel free to reach out to Bob Hajlo or Terri Gulbransen directly.
Thank you for your continued engagement and support as we work together to select the next leader of St. Croix Preparatory Academy.
Sincerely,
Bob Hajlo,
St. Croix Prep Board - Chair
Terri Gulbransen
St. Croix Prep Board - Vice Chair
Executive Director Position Posted
November 25, 2024
The posting for the Executive Director position is posted at the MN School Board Association. Posting is live from November 25, 2024 to January 20, 2025.
Board Letter Announcing Executive Director Search
August 19, 2024
St. Croix Prep Academy Families, Staff, and Community,
Hello and welcome back to the school year hustle! In our roles as Chair and Vice-Chair of the school board, we would like to provide an update on the upcoming executive director search and hiring process.
As you may or may not have heard by now, Jon Gutierrez will be retiring as our executive director at the end of our current fiscal year, June 30, 2025. We thank him for his work at St. Croix Prep over the last 20 years, during which he built a vision, a school, and a community from the ground up—literally! The entire board wishes him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.
The school board is in the early stages of our search for a permanent executive director to take over when Jon retires in June 2025. We plan to conduct this search during the prime hiring season of late fall to early winter of 2024–25, with the goal of having a new executive director start on July 1, 2025. Since the fall of 2023, the board has been partnering with Rebar Leadership to facilitate stakeholder feedback and engagement in this process. We began organizing the search process this summer and have since hired the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) to serve as our consultant. The Succession Planning Committee of the board has been meeting regularly to define the process, timeline, and goals over the past nine months.
Additional details are available on this webpage.
Please contact Bob Hajlo or Terri Gulbransen with any questions.
Good luck to everyone as you start the new school year.
Sincerely,
Bob Hajlo,
St. Croix Prep Board Chair
Terri Gulbransen
St. Croix Prep Vice Chair
Timeline:
2024
Board Training
Board Effectiveness Survey
Communicate Process to Stakeholders
Search Timeline
“Change Cycle”Training Part 1
Executive Director Time Study Completed
Refine Job description with time study
Announce to Community
Communicate Process to Stakeholders
Determine Hiring Criteria
Compensation and benefits reviewed.
“Change Cycle” Training Part 2
Survey of SPC and Board
Candidate Submission Materials
Applications Procedures/
Workflow
NOV 25
Post position state wide and nationally
2025
JAN 20
Application Deadline
JAN 22-FEB 4
Candidate Submissions
Screen Candidates
Verify Candidate References
FEB 4
1st Interview Invitations
Candidates Announcement
1st Interview Logistics
FEB 22
1st INTERVIEW
Finalists Announced After Interview
Additional Reference Checks
2nd Interview Invitations
FEB 25
Q&A “Meet the Candidats” Community Sessions
FEB 26
2nd INTERVIEW
Board - Decide Finalist
FEB 27-MAR 4
Background Screening
Negotiations
Acceptance
MAR 4
Contract Approval
Communication of New ED
Start Date
of new Executive Director
Upcoming Events:
Board Approves Contract
- March 4
- Public Board Meeting
- 4:00pm
- St. Croix Prep
- Orchestra Room 203
