Executive director of administration services also resigning

 

Monday’s school board meeting could make official the resignation of Albert Lea Area Schools Activities Director Afton Wacholz.

Albert Lea High School Principal Mark Grossklaus said Wacholz’s resignation comes after no concerns from the district regarding her performance as activities director. She was not asked to resign, Grossklaus said.

“This was directed by her decision,” he said.

Wacholz stepped in as activities director in 2014. Her resignation, should it be approved by the board in its consent agenda items Monday, is effective Jan. 2, Executive Director of Administrative Services Jim Quiram confirmed.

Grossklaus met with available head coaches the last week of November, he said.

“They were, you know, I don’t know if they were so much shocked — they were disappointed that she wouldn’t be the athletic director anymore,” he said. “They’ve built a good bond with her. She’s done a lot of good things for the Albert Lea athletic students and coaches.”

The district will look for an interim athletic director to fill the remainder of the school year, then move forward with a more long-term process for the 2019-20 school year, he said. The application is not live on Frontline, the external website used for posting district jobs.

As a general rule, Quiram said personnel issues are typically resolved during the second business meeting of the month.

Wacholz has not responded to requests for comment.

Joining Wacholz’s name on the list of resignations to be acted on Monday is Quiram’s. After 27 years in the district — including his time as a student teacher — Quiram accepted a position as executive director of human resources for Prior Lake Savage Area Schools, he said.

He said the resignation is bittersweet, but he made the decision to accept a position he had his eye on.

“I think the biggest thing is just the opportunity it provides,” Quiram said. “It’s a much larger district and it presents a completely different set of issues than here, and that’s exciting to me, and the ability to have a larger staff and to work with other kinds of issues, it was just an exciting opportunity.”

The school board will meet at 5 p.m. Monday at Brookside Education Center in the boardroom.