Candidate Profile: Veteran School Board Chair Wants Four More Years

There's little that Mickey Difronzo hasn't seen after eight years on the School District 199 School Board.

In his two terms on the board, the district has closed down an elementary school, built a new middle school, revamped much of its classroom curriculum and hired a new superintendent.

Thanks to many of those changes, Difronzo said, Inver Grove Heights schools are in a better position now than they were when he was first elected. But the veteran school board member believes that there's still plenty of work to be done, which is why he decided to run for what could be his third four-year term as a member of the school board.

A senior space planner at Gander Mountain, Difronzo, 44, campaigned to become a member of the school board in 2003 after becoming frustrated with the district's previous math curriculum—which the district has since overhauled. But Difronzo's single largest accomplishment as a board member was helping support the construction of the new , a $30 million project Difronzo said drastically improved the students' learning environment.

"It was tough to be proud of being in that middle school with the way it looked," Difronzo said of the previous building. "There were literally buckets in the hallway collecting water from leaky roofs."

Looking forward, Difronzo believes the district should focus, in part, on its own image—marketing Inver Grove schools to the area in order to improve the district's competitive standing and draw in more students.

"We’re one of the top high schools in the state of Minnesota, and I think we need to tell more and more people that," Difronzo said. "The size of our district gives students here an opportunity they wouldn’t receive in other places. Our numbers allow everyone to be involved."

Collaboration across district lines is also an important point for Difronzo, who is conscious of the financial issues facing many districts across the state. The Inver Grove district already shares a food service director and a Community Ed program with neighboring districts. Why can't the district explore other collaborative possibilities, Difronzo wonders.

The board, he added, needs to continue to regularly review its policies and curriculums and update those when necessary.

Difronzo, whose kids currently attend Inver Grove Heights schools, has lived his entire life in the community, and says he understands the values and direction of the city.

"Without a strong school system, we don’t have a strong community, they go together," he said.

Editor's Note: This is the second in a series of profiles on the candidates running for positions on the Inver Grove Heights School Board this fall. To view the previous profile, click on the following link: