File photo by Fritz Busch The Sleepy Eye School Board approved the resignation/retirement of community education director Pat Stevermer Wednesday. Stevermer has held the position since 1979. She was named Brown County Outstanding Senior Citizen in 2023 just prior this photo was taken that appeared with a story in The Journal.

SLEEPY EYE — There was a variety of hires and resignations unanimously approved at the Sleepy Eye Public School Board meeting Wednesday.

Action items included hiring Riverbend Education District Dean and Program Coordinator Benjamin Westphal as elementary principal for the 2025-26 school year at $90,000.

As of July 1, Sleepy Eye Public School Superintendent John Cselovszki will no longer be the elementary principal in Sleepy Eye, a position he has held for years in addition to being superintendent. Cselovszki will become the superintendent in Sleepy Eye and Cedar Mountain Public School as of July 1, 2025.

Last December, the Sleepy Eye board unanimously approved a three-year, 50-50 superintendent sharing agreement for Cselovszki.

Resignations included elementary administrative assistant Kathy Ahlrich as of May 30, 2025; business manager Amanda Boomgarten effective April 11, 2025; and community education director Pat Stevermer as of June 30, 2025.

“This is giant. What a lady. She can still serve on our community education board if she wants to,” said Cselovszki.

Stevermer was named the 2023 Brown County Outstanding Senior Citizen and received the 2002 Minnesota Community Education Association Community Educator Award for school districts with less than 20,000 students.

In March, the school board approved a one-year leave of absence request for the 2025-26 school year for agriculture teacher and FFA Advisor Mary Hoffmann. She was inducted into the 2021 Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame and serves as a National Council for Agriculture Education representative. Sleepy Eye FFA teams and the FFA chapter have won many state and national awards.

Hires included Alyssa Mitchell as agriculture teacher for the 2025-26 school year at $46,988; jr. high FFA advisor, $1,225; and 40 summer days, $10,270.80 for a total of $58,483.80.

Other hires were Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD) Special Education teacher Mara Pauling and high school social studies teacher Zoe Macklanburg, both at $45,488.

A business management services agreement with School Management Services (SMS) at $5,833/month as of April 15. Cselovzski said the agreement will be on a monthly basis for now.

A Senior Class of 2026 trip to Orlando and Cocoa Beach, Fl March 18-22, 2026 was unanimously approved at a current estimated cost of $1,450 per student. The trip includes a beach day and pizza party at Cocoa Beach, Volcano Bay water park and visits to Disney Springs, Universal Studies and EPIC Universe.

Interest by 60% of the class is required. Twenty-seven students have expressed interest (81%) of the class. Class trip fundraisers include concession stands, car wash cards and coffee roasters.