New Superintendents deal with growing pains

Alex Bertsch, Sports Editor
September 2, 2013

At the beginning of the school year there will be more than 820 new kindergarten students in the West Fargo School District. To deal with the rapid growth, West Fargo has brought in two new assistant superintendents in an effort to reorganize leadership.
“We don’t have more staff, but we are better organized to do the work that needs to be done in a district of this size,” Superintendent David Flowers said. “I was the direct supervisor of all of the principals and all of the directors of central office we have, and in a district this size that keeps growing it’s just too much.”
After applications, interviews, and much deliberation the two new positions were filled by Beth Slette, who will be in charge of the elementary schools, and Allen Burgad, who will handle secondary education.
Slette has been in the district for 19 years, starting as a sixth grade teacher at Harwood Elementary School, before moving into an administrative career.
“I did not know that I wanted to be a principal until about my eighth year teaching when an administrator approached me and told me I had some real leadership potential,” Slette said.
Burgad has only been in the district for a few months, coming from his job as Superintendent in Northern Cass. Burgad began his administrative career as a principal in Stanley, at age 26.
“When you are in charge of so many people at such a young age, you really need to learn from your mistakes, and I definitely had a lot to learn from,” Burgad said.
This new team will have to work hard to handle the amount of growth that the district has foreseen. According to predictions from the Mckibben Demographers for the Metropolitan Council of Governments, the district will have more than 3,100 high school students by the year 2020.
“Our capacity is currently at 3,000, so if these numbers come true, it takes two years to build a high school, so in 2016-2017 we are going to need to be monitoring these numbers, and make a decision about whether or not we’re going to need a new high school,” Flowers said.
The new administrative team has hopes they can help the district grow and adapt to the ever-growing number of students.
“They [Slette and Burgad] are integral in developing the curriculum that will help our students succeed,” Flowers said. “It’s just dividing the labors, and it’s very helpful to have those extra hands.”