The resignation of Lori Volz is the first casualty of the current disruption on the Albert Lea District No. 241 School Board. I am sure most of us were unaware of her efforts and accomplishments as she worked diligently behind the scenes to improve not only the education of our children, but also the community of Albert Lea.

Lori was hired by Dr. Funk in 2009 as director of finance and operations, and in that year was selected the School Business Official of the Year for the state of Minnesota by the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials. She assumed additional duties in District No. 241 as deputy superintendent in 2014 and was elected to the Public Employees Retirement Association Board of Trustees in 2015 in a statewide election. Lori also developed the financial plan and runs the business operations of the Austin/Albert Lea Special Education Cooperative.

During her tenure here in Albert Lea, we’ve had a $16,521,000 facilities upgrade to the heating and ventilation systems in six district buildings, with minimal impact to the taxes of our local residents as Lori helped secure zero and low interest bonds for the projects — saving the taxpayers $3,383,000. In fact, school district taxes decreased 11.3 percent for residents and local business from 2013 to 2015. She also refinanced the bond for Albert Lea High School, which resulted in a savings to local taxpayers of $1,136,000.

While on her watch, the district implemented a $1.5 million wireless internet infrastructure and procured over 2,000 Chromebook/iPad devices for students and teachers in support of our growing digital education initiative. Lori spearheaded the establishment of a free health clinic at Brookside for the over 900 district employees and dependents who are covered under the district’s health insurance plan, resulting in an 11 percent decrease in prescription drug costs and a zero percent increase in health insurance premiums this past year.

Today, starting salary for Albert Lea teachers is over $41,000 — the highest in Southern Minnesota. Albert Lea Schools was recently named the 55th best place to work in the nation for a teacher, out of nearly 1,000 communities studied.

And now this invaluable asset to our community and children is leaving us due to the dysfunction on our school board. It is time for all of us to recognize the positive things happening in our school system; to thank Lori for all her efforts and accomplishments; to recognize and appreciate that she was a vital part of a progressive administration team that consistently challenges all of us to think out-of-the-box when it comes to improving the education of our children; to recognize Mark Ciota for his leadership and patience during this trying time on the board; to thank the entire staff of District No. 241 for their dedication to our children; and, most importantly, to elect new school board members that come to the job with no alternative agenda and just one objective in mind — to continue on our current path of constant improvement in the education of our children.

Brad Arends

Albert Lea