On March 14, Hastings Superintendent Dr. Tammy Champa interviewed as a semifinalist for the superintendent position in the Owatonna School District. At the interview, Champa spoke to the reason for seeking to leave the Hastings school district, and fielded questions on the challenges facing school districts and her work on community engagement.
Champa cited the long commute from her Pine Island home and the extended time she spends in her Hastings apartment as reason why she was seeking a new position after less than two years with the Hastings School District.
“I was going to stay in the apartment for two or three nights a week, and it turns out that I go on Sunday and I come home late Friday night,” said Champa.
Champa read several emails she had received from residents of the district lamenting her potential leaving. “My inbox was flooded, and I am proud of that,” said Champa.
As to the challenges facing school districts, the first and foremost Champa spoke to were upcoming financial challenges at both the state and federal level. Hastings is facing a $2.5 million budget deficit, with a similar situation facing Owatonna with a $1.8 million deficit. Given the projected $6 billion deficit at the state level, increased funding to meet many of the new standards and mandates is increasingly unlikely.
At the federal level, Champa spoke to concerns regarding continuing federal funding especially for special education and third-party billing, saying, “I’m really concerned about special ed, [and] third-party billing is an area that we have a lot of funds coming in that way and we are concerned about that. I think the other thing is being true to who we serve, and making sure that inclusion, equity, those types of things are at the forefront of what we do.”
The comment was a shift from Champa’s lack of comment on her thoughts regarding the district’s sunsetting of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy. At the Feb. 26 regular school board meeting, Champa pointedly refused to comment on her opinion of the board’s sunsetting of the district’s DEI after Treasurer Mark Zuzek repeatedly asked, saying only “it wouldn’t be the time that I would be looking at it.”
Champa then relayed the advice from the district’s legal counsel that the district’s policy broke no law and that the “dear colleague letter” from Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor that threatened loss of federal funding was not “a directive or an order,” and therefore didn’t need to be followed.
“I would hate to see an action because of uncertainty or fear whatever that might be,” said Champa later in the Feb. 26 meeting.
Champa also fielded questions regarding community engagement. Community engagement and communication have been a focus of the district in the past several years. Last year the school board launched the new Community Collaboration Committee that allows community members to voice concerns. Champa spoke to her weekly “Raider Update” that details the happenings across the district.
“I look for all opportunities to get in front of our community because it’s why I’m living in an apartment, right? So, I can be there,” said Champa.
Champa also spoke to getting before district residents not just before bonds and levies: “As districts, we are really good at getting in front of our community when we want something and we have an ask. We are not always great at doing that other times.”
In order to get before district residents without an ask, Champa spoke to her “tour of gratitude,” where she got out to local organizations after a successful bond or levy and thanked them for their support.
The Owatonna School Board will announce its finalists on March 18 with interviews occurring March 19-20, and 25.
“Twenty-four completed applications were submitted for the superintendent position. Candidates were from five states and represented a range of current job titles including superintendent, assistant superintendent, executive director, director, principal, coordinator and consultant,” said a statement from the Owatonna School District.
Champa started in Hastings in July 2023. The start date for the Owatonna Superintendent is July 1, 2025.