The St. Michael-Albertville School District is taking a quick approach to naming a new leader after Dr. Ann-Marie Foucault announced her intent to retire at the end of her contract.
Foucault, who has led the school district for nearly a decade, is in the second year of a three-year contract. She informed the STMA School Board earlier this summer that she will retire at the end of that agreement, which would be the 2027-2028 school year.
In an effort to move forward with new leadership, the board approved a search for a new superintendent. The district held a forum in late August, prior to the beginning of the 2026-2027 (current) school year. That conversation collected data from school leaders, community members and families in regards to what they would seek in a future district leader.
Following a comprehensive superintendent search that attracted a strong pool of qualified candidates, the St. Michael-Albertville School Board identified six semifinalists to move forward in the selection process.
The school board interviewed all six semifinalists on September 28, 2026. Following the interviews and board discussion, two candidates were selected as finalists for the STMA assistant superintendent/superintendent position (pending official board approval on October 5, 2026):
– Minda Anderson, Assistant Superintendent, Big Lake Schools
– Janell Bullard, Superintendent, Paynesville Area Schools
The finalists will participate in the next phase of the search process, culminating in final interviews with the school board on October 26, 2026. The finalist interviews will be open to the public. Once the selection is named, she (both finalists are female) will join STMA as an Assistant Superintendent, serving under Foucault for the 2027-2028 school year. The new superintendent would then take the reins of the district on July 1, 2028.
Additional information about the finalists, opportunities for community engagement, and details regarding the October 26 interviews will be shared as the process moves forward. The STMA School District website has more details on the process.
The school board said in a statement that it “appreciates the strong interest in the position and the engagement of staff, families, students, and community members throughout the superintendent search process.”