Stillwater Area Public Schools selects Dr. Michael Funk as next Superintendent

(ABC 6 NEWS) – The Stillwater Area School Board has unanimously voted to select Albert Lea Superintendent Dr. Michael Funk to become the district’s next superintendent.

The decision by the Stillwater Area Board Friday evening is contingent on Dr. Funk agreeing to a contract with the district as well as a background check.

The school board expects to approve the contract in April, and if approved, Dr. Funk will begin his new position as Stillwater Superintendent on July 1st.

"That ability to give you hope, even when there is none, so that ability to project in ways where anything is possible, is what he presented. So for me, he was a candidate for what all of our collective mindset is, wanting to project to our kids that they can hope, that they can think beyond what their capabilities are right now," Annie Porbeni, school board member for Stillwater Area Public Schools said.

Dr. Funk was recently named the 2022 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators.