Les Green Named Board Chair of St. Cloud Area School District

ST. CLOUD - The St. Cloud area school district has a new chairperson for 2016.

Les Green was voted into the position on Monday night during the annual board reorganization meeting. The position was held by Dennis Whipple last year.

Green was St. Cloud State's first African American instructor in 1972 in the Department of Education, helping write the curriculum for the first Human Relations program for in-servicing teachers. He says a priority for him and the board moving forward is to respond to students having difficulty in school.

"I think we need to look at behavior issues in school and how we can help teachers and the system better respond to young people who are having difficulty in school."

Green says he will also focus on working with superintendent Willie Jett on a future bond referendum for a new Tech High School.

"We need to ask the people 'do you want a new school?' 'do we need a new school?' and I think that answer is clearly yes because of the location of our current school. I think we do need a school."

In 1993, Les received a master's degree in Human Relations from St. Cloud State University. He received his Doctorate in Educational Administration and Leadership from the University of Minnesota in 2006.

During the reorganization meeting, Bruce Mohs was voted in as vice-chair, Al Dahlgren was made clerk and Bruce Hentges was voted in as treasurer.

The board also voted to keep it's monthly compensation the same as it has been since 2009. Green will receive $693 a month as board chair and all other members will receive $603 a month.