Scott Thielman comes from a family of educators, so it was no surprise when he chose a career in education as well. The Kimball school district superintendent’s mother was a parochial teacher in Avon and St. Joseph, and his uncle was a teacher and a principal. Thielman was a teacher, a principal and an assistant principal before becoming superintendent in July 2002. Right now, much of his job revolves around the budget. “The budget is really important, with lower state funding and declining enrollment,” Thielman said. Many of his other responsibilities tie into the budget as well. For instance, recommending curriculum, requesting funding for facilities and maintenance, approving hiring, and guiding the school board to make sure they can fund programs. In fact, one challenge Thielman faces is implementing un-funded state and federal government mandates. “You have to insure that everything’s in place without any additional funding,” he said, “It’s sometimes overwhelming, but you overcome it and find volunteers and creative solutions.” Thielman also works with administration, staff and counselors on special projects while looking for ways to improve student achievement. He works with the school board to establish direction and priorities for the school district. Personal relations is also part of being superintendent. “Being visible in the community and activities, being approachable and making yourself accessible, and being a good listener [is important],” he said. Background Thielman grew up in the St. Cloud area and graduated from Apollo High School. During his senior year of high school he was in a teaching program and worked with second-graders at an elementary school every afternoon. “I thought it was very rewarding and enjoyed working with children,” he said. He majored in elementary education at St. Cloud State University and went on to get a masters degree in K-12 educational administration at Corpus Christi State University in Texas and a doctorate in educational leadership from Texas A & M-Corpus Christi. Focusing on different areas of education has brought different responsibilities. Thielman has enjoyed working with different age-level students in different situations. He worked in the Corpus Christi school district as a teacher, an assistant elementary school principal, a middle school principal and a high school principal. “When I was teaching, I loved being in the classroom. [At the] elementary it was outstanding because I got to build relationships with the parents,” he said. “I really enjoyed the middle school kids and their energy. There were 2,500 kids at the high school and it was just exciting every day.” As an administrator, he misses the contact he had with students while teaching. “You’re removed from the students unless you get out there [and try to meet people],” Thielman said. He is finding his current position rewarding as well. “I enjoy the satisfaction of seeing students be successful and seeing kids happy to be in school,” he said. Family Thielman met his wife Sandy at a Halloween party in high school. They dated for a long time and were married in June 1987. Sandy’s father was in the Air Force and she was born in Germany. Her family lived on the San Antonio air base before moving back to her mother’s hometown, Albany, Minn. The Thielmans have two children, Whitney, 15, a sophomore at Kimball Area High School, and Luke, 20 months old. Their home is in St. Cloud, next to Sandy’s sister’s house. Sandy works full-time caring for Luke and her nephew. Back home One thing the Thielmans enjoyed since they moved back to Minnesota is getting together with their extended families. “We were gone for 13 years and just saw them once a year,” Thielman said. “I guess we’re making up for lost time.” They’re also enjoying Minnesota’s great outdoors and hope to go camping and see Gooseberry Falls, Duluth, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area now that Luke is old enough. The family also likes golfing, and Thielman is a member of the Kimball Golf Club. One thing Thielman always wanted to do was go hunting. “I didn’t do that growing up and my brother-in-law and nephew have been nice enough to invite me duck hunting, pheasant hunting and deer hunting,” Thielman said. The Thielmans have enjoyed getting to know the Kimball community, and Thielman is impressed with the community’s dedication to education. “It’s a very positive, concerned community committed to education as witnessed with their support of the new high school and elementary,” Thielman said. “It makes a huge statement about the community, and I really enjoy everyone that I’ve met.”
