Brainerd School Board Narrows Down Field of Superintendent Candidates

Top row, left to right: Karsten Anderson, Jharrett Bryantt, Heidi Hahn
Bottom row, left to right: Frank Herman, Eric Schneider, Ronald Wagner

The search for the next Brainerd Public Schools superintendent took a big leap forward on Monday as the Brainerd school board narrowed a field of 15 candidates down to a select few.

The six candidates for the position are:

• Karsten Anderson – superintendent of Red Wing Schools, also a finalist for the Bemidji superintendent position
• Jharrett Bryantt –  assistant superintendent and an executive officer of Houston Public Schools in Texas
• Heidi Hahn – assistant superintendent for Brainerd Public Schools
• Frank Herman – high school principal at Robbinsdale Area Schools in the Twin Cities
• Eric Schneider – chief academic officer for EdIncites, a Chicago-based company
• Ronald Wagner – associate superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools

Each candidate will have one hour dedicated to interviews, which started on Tuesday and will continue through Wednesday, April 6.

The school district was assisted by School Exec Connect, a group that searches for education executives and consults on topics related to school improvement, planning, and board governance.