Jim Hunt, Peterson add their names to candidates for Brainerd School Board
A former longtime Brainerd High School principal and a Brainerd man who spent 30 years in education filed Friday to run for the special two-year term on the Brainerd School Board.
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Jim Hunt, 67, Baxter, and Tom Peterson, 56, Brainerd, both filed for the two-year term. Four others have filed for the three open four-year seats on the board.
Hunt is married to Louise, a Garfield special education and Reading Recovery teacher. They have three grown children, Michael, Heather and David.
Hunt spent 27 years as a BHS principal, first as an assistant principal from 1972-73, then as an interim principal from 1973-74 before being hired as principal from 1974 until his retirement in November of 1999. He is a 1960 LeCenter High School graduate and previously taught business education in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1964 to 1966 when he was hired to teach in Austin until 1969. At that time he returned to college in Mankato to earn his master's degree and later served as a principal of a kindergarten through 12-grade school in Morristown from 1969-72 before he was hired at BHS.
Jim Hunt
Since his retirement, Hunt has worked for Catholic Aid Association for a number of years, selling annuities, and works at Madden's as a golf course starter. He's active in Kinship Partners, where he's been partnered with a youth for the past six years, and is active as a trustee at St. Andrew's Catholic Church. He's president of the Brainerd Sports Boosters and has hosted several education and government related television programs on local access television. He's also been a volunteer at the former Lincoln and Garfield schools, helping first-graders learn to read.
Hunt said he's thought a lot about running for school board.
"I have a passion for the Brainerd School District," said Hunt. "I just feel District 181 is a great place for young people to get an education. I've seen that in my time there as principal. My wife is still a teacher and my three kids went through the system. I was thinking I can still give something back."
Hunt said he feels he can be a calming voice on the board, someone who can look at all sides of an issue. He believes class sizes are a critical issue right now and feels it is important that the district brings back more of the technical programs that had been cut due to budget reductions.
"We need to make sure those things are available, including the advanced placement program, special education programs - every component is important," said Hunt. "They've been going through some real difficult times and I think I can probably be kind of a bridge there."
Peterson is married to Le Ann Schoenle, who is a dental instructor at Central Lake College in Brainerd. Peterson said he has four adult children and eight grandchildren.
Peterson works at Atomic Learning in Little Falls as a customer experience representative and he's been there for two years. Peterson said prior to working at Atomic Learning he worked in administration, technology and library services at a school in Sioux Falls, S.D. He also was a librarian at the Staples Public Library for 11 years.
Tom Peterson
Peterson has a bachelor's degree in history, speech and theater from the University of Morris and a master's degree in technology from St. Cloud State University.
Peterson said he's running for school board because he has a strong interest in education, especially since many of his family relatives have been or are teachers. Peterson said he's interested in building stronger communications with the school district and the community, building a strong financial budget for short-term and long-range planning and assisting the district in the tough economic times.
Peterson said the biggest issue the district faces is its finances and long range plans on how to meet the needs of the students with limited resources.
Peterson said what he can bring to the table is that he can uses the "out of the box" thinking for solutions that will help students learn.
Peterson serves on the Brainerd Library Board and is vice chair of the Kitchigami Regional Library System.
The four candidates for the three four-year terms on the board include incumbent Ruth Nelson, Nancy Cross, Chris Robinson and Todd Froemming. Filings close at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.