Report: Poor communication, unilateral decisions led to complaint against Brenner

May 21—GRAND FORKS — A breakdown in communication between Superintendent Terry Brenner and Grand Forks Public Schools' principals led to a personnel complaint against Brenner.

That's according to the internal investigation released by School Board President Amber Flynn shortly before a Monday special meeting at which the board

voted to place new checks on the superintendent's leadership.

Board members did not discipline Brenner, but mandated a more comprehensive evaluation of the superintendent with input from his subordinates, the hiring of a leadership coach for Brenner, and biweekly meetings with the Grand Forks Principals Association, which filed the complaint against Brenner in April.

Flynn, working with special counsel Laura Cobb, of the firm Olson, Juntunen, Boettner & Cobb, reviewed dozens of documents and interviewed 18 administrators, including Brenner, in the course of her investigation.

The 20-page report provides an inside account as to how relations between Brenner and Grand Forks' principals soured beginning with the Feb. 22 rollout of proposed staffing cuts through the walkback of some of those cuts five weeks later.

Two March meetings between district leadership and school principals where Brenner appeared to shift blame for some of the chosen cuts onto other administrators served as the catalyst for a complaint filed by the Grand Forks Principals Association, the report states.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the report:

School principals played a central role in choosing which of the

dozens of staff positions the district planned to cut

in the 2024-25 school year.

Work on the "budget realignment," as it is known internally, began among the district's top leadership last May. Administrators sought to reduce expenses for the 2024-25 school year in hopes of restoring the district's general fund reserves to 15% of operating expenses by 2026.

School principals were brought into the effort in the fall and told each building or department needed to cut 5% of its budget for the upcoming school year.

Using a color-coded "stoplight" system, principals recommended certain cuts, which went to district leaders, who made their own recommendations. Brenner had the final say.

"It was effectively communicated that Dr. Brenner was the final decision maker," read the report.

It also read, "It was acknowledged by the administration, including Dr. Brenner, that members of the public would likely speak out against the proposed budget," Flynn wrote.

Several elementary and secondary principals were concerned whether the cuts would actually go through, based on prior budget exercises and the district's attempt to lay off seven music, art and world language teachers in 2021, which the School Board ultimately reversed.

Despite the events in 2021, middle and high school principals gave the green light to the proposed 2024-25 green cuts to German and music programs at the middle and high school level.

High school principals suggested reducing the speech requirement instead of German, but switched to German after speaking with Associate Superintendent Catherine Gillach.

Flynn writes the "final" set of proposed staff cuts "was not questioned by any principal" at a Feb. 22 meeting and "the principals did not provide feedback" on the proposed cuts.

District leadership and the principals and associate principals met Feb. 22, the day Brenner made his district-wide announcement of the cuts in a Zoom meeting.

District leadership decided staff members expected to be affected by the cuts should be notified prior to the Zoom meeting, a responsibility largely passed on to principals.

Flynn's report is unclear as to whether the rollout of the proposed cuts was discussed prior to the meeting or if the principals learned of the plan on Feb. 22.

Brenner hosted a 22-minute Zoom meeting announcing the cuts that afternoon. That meeting did not discuss the specifics of the cuts, though some principals assumed it would.

"Many staff members were puzzled and confused, which created anxiety and strain between many principals and their staff members," Flynn notes.

Students also learned of the cuts, and rapidly organized in protest. By Monday,

hundreds of students, parents and community members rallied at a School Board meeting

to speak out against the cuts, particularly to music and German.

Brenner announced plans at the Feb. 26 School Board meeting to meet with teachers and paraprofessionals expecting to be affected by the staff cuts, and held eight "listening sessions" with different groups over the next several weeks.

Brenner, Gillach and Assistant Superintendent Matt Bakke met with teaching staff, who had been excluded from the budget process until this point, but did not invite principals to the meeting or notify them they were taking place.

Flynn writes "the principals would have liked to be included in the meetings to counter any contentions from impacted staff members" but "Dr. Brenner did not know the principals wanted to be included."

After Feb. 26, the report says, Brenner ceased to consult with principals about the staffing cuts entirely, and mostly worked with Business Manager Brandon Baumbach. Brenner "felt he had to make quick decisions due to the timeline."

Joint administrator meetings were next held on March 21 and 28.

In these two meetings, Brenner informed the principals of his plan to

roll back reductions to music, German and some paraprofessionals,

declaring on March 21, "I'm calling an audible."

He further claimed he'd been working with "bad information," which, per Flynn's report, "everyone in the room" knew referred to information received from Gillach regarding the cuts to music and German.

A rumor later circulated of plans to fire Gillach, and

community members rallied in a silent show of support for the associate superintendent

at an April School Board meeting.

"Those interviewed all described the principals as shocked and angry," Flynn wrote of the March meeting.

The Grand Forks Principals Association met after the March 28 meeting and a majority voted to file a personnel complaint against Brenner.

"In our view, there is a lack of collaboration and respect from our superintendent," a letter attached to the complaint read. "Constructive feedback and differing viewpoints have been dismissed throughout our budget realignment process. This lack of respect undermines morale and stifles our collective ability to accomplish our work."

The principals association did not raise concerns with the district's human resources director or with Brenner prior to filing the personnel complaint, a choice Flynn criticized in her report.

Flynn noted that came from a concern of retaliation by Brenner.

"Many of the principals stated they feared retaliation from Dr. Brenner if they disagreed with his decisions or brought up their concerns about his leadership," Flynn wrote, though "principals were unable to give direct examples of retaliation for disagreeing with Dr. Brenner."

The report did include specific examples of Brenner disregarding principals' input or otherwise ignoring the district's own hierarchy.