Superintendent/AD- Travis Ahrens

Welcome to the Clark School District! This my second year serving the school district and my first year as Superintendent. My wife, three children, and I have made the community of Clark our home for over a year now and there could not be a better place to raise a family. The Clark School District’s mission is to engage & educate each student academically & socially in order that they may reach THEIR potential as a productive member of society. In our school district, we strive to help students become the parents, neighbors, employees, and people we would all want to live next to and be a part of our lives. The ultimate goal we have for our students, is that they are college ready, career ready, and most importantly, life ready for an ever-changing world.

 

We have dedicated team of educators, support staff, board-members, coaches, and many other stakeholders that want nothing but the best for our students! We are a rural, small town school district that understands the extraordinary potential of all of our children!—-Travis Ahrens

Middle School/High School Principal & Special Education Director – Jennifer Heggelund

I am new to the Clark School District, but not new to northeast South Dakota. I come with 21 years of experience from the Watertown School District where I served as the Special Services Director. I also taught Special Education at Watertown High School prior to becoming the director. I was a 1994 graduate of Pierre High School in Pierre, S.D. I earned my B.A. in Elementary Education & Special Education from Dakota Wesleyan University, M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction from Black Hills State University, and M.A. in Educational Administration from South Dakota State University. Along the way I have coached volleyball, basketball, and track and love everything extra-curricular activities can offer like biking with the best exercise bike.

I have three children, Marcus, Meghan, and Mason who will all be attending post-secondary universities in the fall. Marcus will student teach next year and is attending Dakota State University. Meghan is pursuing Pre-med and is a sophomore at Bemidji State University. Mason will be a freshman at the University of Anchorage Alaska and is excited to participate in their Electrical Engineering program.

While I am not new to school administration, this will be my first principal position. I come from a family of educators. I see great value in education. This has been instilled in me from a young age and has provided me with a strong desire to lead others. I strive every day to have a positive impact and make a difference. I believe we are all stakeholders in the education of our students. It is about coming together and working to provide opportunities for our students that not only meet academic benchmarks, but create productive, caring citizens that will continue to impact our community in a positive way. I was drawn to the Clark School District because of the commitment I saw. It is a smaller community and the pride I see in this school district is powerful. I am excited to be here serving in this capacity and am looking forward to being embedded into a system that promotes student engagement with a well-rounded education. I believe it is this commitment, from all of us, that makes the difference in our community. Definitely the best investment we will ever make.

Business Manager- Mary Nelson

I started as business manager with the Clark School District on June 23, 2014.  It feels great to be in the halls of my alma mater, as I am a Clark Comet graduate of 1986.  The years go by so quickly and I enjoy every minute of every day at the Clark School District. We have the best staff and students.

I live east of Clark on the farm where I grew up.  I have 3 children, Kyle, a 2005 Clark graduate, who lives in Fargo and has his own truck shop.   Amanda, a 2010 Clark graduate lives in Kirkland, Wa near Seattle with her husband Casey. She is a pharmacist at a hospital in Kirkland.  Morgan, a 2015 Clark graduate lives in Watertown, just finished college and is a staff accountant at VRS.  I also have a 3 year old grandson who makes being a grandma so worth it.

As business manager of the Clark School District, my days are filled with lots of paperwork.  I work with budget, accounts payable, account receivable, payroll and state funding along with food service financials.   In a small district, I do a little bit of everything!

Stop in and visit our district anytime!~~~Mary Nelson

 

Elementary/Colony Principal~~~Jon Redmond

I am excited to return to the Clark School District where I began my teaching career 10 years ago. I previously taught in Clark from 2012-2014 and left after I got married.  I always appreciated that I was able to start my education career at the Clark School District, and I am excited to return as the Elementary/Colony Principal.

The past 3 years, I worked in the Academic’s office at Lake Area Technical College.  I enjoyed my time there but missed the difference educators can make working with younger students. Before LATC, I was the K-12 Principal for the Henry School District. I have also previously taught for the Madison School District and the Montrose School District. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science Education in 2012 from Northern State University. In 2017, I completed my Master’s Degree in Leadership and Administration also from Northern State University.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife (Courtney) and two kids (Jason and Avery).  We enjoy playing outdoors whether that be playing with our new puppy, camping, riding bikes, or playing sports.  We also love visiting my parent’s farm in Henry and my wife’s parent’s ranch in Watertown.  We love spending time together as a family, and we cherish every moment we can together.

I look forward to serving the Clark Elementary School and surrounding Colony Schools in helping our students reach their full potential.  I believe that all children can learn and each child has his or her unique strengths.  I look forward to working with the teachers in maximizing these strengths and helping students grow academically and social-emotionally. I am passionate about education and love talking all things education. I look forward to a great school year!~~~Jon Redmond