Krenz takes over duties

Published 9:39 am Thursday, July 2, 2009

David Krenz spent Wednesday in his office — bare walls, a nearly empty desk, mute tones of gray and white. The room’s decor could come later; there is already much work to be done.

The superintendent of Austin Public Schools had a big task on his plate the first day. Two principals resigned in June, and interviews with candidates were underway to fill the positions as soon as possible. This, in addition to answering phone calls, meeting with visitors and just adjusting to a new workplace the day after leaving his previous one. Outside of work, he is also house-hunting.

Krenz served five years as superintendent at La Crescent-Hokah Public Schools. He is a husband and father of three adult sons, the youngest attending the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. His wife, Eileen, was an administrative assistant at the chamber of commerce.

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Krenz laughed when asked if he ever taught his children in school; the answer is no.

“As an administrator, they would say I’m fair, honest and trustworthy,” he said after some thought.

“I believe in people,” Krenz explained. “I believe in the goodness of people and that they want to do the best they can.”

A self-proclaimed “collaborative leader,” Krenz said community partnerships are important to him, and one reason Austin was a draw.

“I believe we can make decisions better together than in isolation,” he said, noting Austin’s ties with The Hormel Foundation, Mayo Clinic, the University of Minnesota and other organizations.

Krenz, who succeeds interim superintendent Bruce Anderson after a one-year tenure, was raised in Lewiston, Minn.

He attended St. John’s University and Winona State University, where he earned administrative degrees.

“I’m familiar with southeastern Minnesota,” he said.

Entering his 31st year in education, Krenz has taught math and chemistry, and served as an administrator in several districts, including Winona and Wausau, Wis., a district of about 10,000 students.

La Crescent is a much smaller community, with a district population of about 1,400.

“We really enjoyed our time there, belonged to a lot of different organizations,” Krenz said.

His former district is experiencing some of the same challenges as Austin, like a “very white European ancestry and a new immigration brought in the district.” La Crescent is seeing a larger Hmong population, whereas Austin has many Hispanics and is a much more diverse school system.

“This district has taken the steps in involving the diverse community,” Krenz said, referring to bilingual opportunities for both English and Spanish speakers, but added that he will “continue to look at programs to help all students across the board in reading, math and communication skills.”

In his second year at La Crescent, Krenz succeeded in passing an operating referendum that failed several times before. Renewing Austin’s is the second major goal on the superintendent’s agenda here.

“Everyone is hurting, not just schools,” he said of the economic effects on the community. “It’s (the referendum renewal) not money for extras.”

The district is conducting another community survey this month, which will randomly collect data from residents about concerns.

Krenz said he is impressed with Austin’s strong support system among staff, parents and business partners. Austin, La Crescent and other districts in the area have many things in common: In the Midwest, there isn’t much difference among districts in terms of expectations. The communities hold a “strong belief in education,” Krenz said.