Spotlight

Don Lifto has served as a school superintendent for 24 years and is currently superintendent of Northeast Metro 916 Intermediate School District. He previously was superintendent in Mahtomedi and Trimont (now Martin County West) and in 1995 received a Ph.D. in educational administration from the University of Minnesota.

Over the last ten years Dr. Lifto has consulted with numerous school districts on planning and conducting finance and bond elections and has presented nationally on topics of school finance elections and collaboration. In 2003 he co-authored the book, School Finance Elections, published by Scarecrow Press and the American Association of School Administrators. Dr. Lifto is married with three adult children and lives in Mahtomedi, Minnesota.

As a superintendent of an intermediate district, could you describe the differences between an intermediate and a traditional school district?

There are three intermediate school districts in Minnesota, all of which are in the seven-county metropolitan area. Intermediate districts provide programs and services on a regional basis to students in K-12 districts in special education, career and technical education, and a wide range of other educational services ranging from gifted and talented to staff development. Most of the suburban K-12 districts are members of one of the three intermediate school districts.

How have you seen the role of school superintendent change over the last twenty-four years of your career?

I have had the opportunity over the past 24 years to serve as a superintendent in a small, rural district, a suburban district, and now an intermediate district. Although the role of the superintendent has been fairly constant over time, I think this leadership role has become significantly more challenging and requires a more highly developed and expanded skill set than early in my career.

First, expanded choice for parents in the forms of open enrollment, post secondary enrollment options (PSEO), and public charter schools has introduced significantly more competition among school districts. It's not that these changes were bad for public schools; I believe that it is good for families to have a broad array of choices within the public school systems. Choice has forced public schools to be more entrepreneurial, focused on results, and customer driven. A successful superintendent today needs to be more knowledgeable and sophisticated in public relations and marketing.

Second, accountability initiatives at both the state and Federal levels have required superintendents to become adept at knowing how to collect, analyze, interpret, and report data to parents, taxpayers, and the media. The days of reviewing Iowa Test of Basic Skills results with the school board once a year are over.

Third, dealing with scarce funding for public schools has shifted from an occasional blip during an economic downturn to a constant struggle. The reality of passing a new operating levy in November and then cutting programs and staff four months later is a new and troubling phenomenon.

Last, the superintendency has become more challenging within the political context. The polarization and sometimes vitriolic rhetoric in party politics are increasingly spilling over to local issues including school board races and educational policies ranging from curriculum adoptions to school attendance boundaries. To be successful in this environment requires that school superintendents be more savvy politically and be knowledgeable about effective community engagement strategies.

What need did you see, or what inspired you, to write a book on school finance elections?

Being able to pass an operating levy or bond election is a prerequisite leadership skill for today's superintendent. Our book seeks to shift the attention of superintendents away from specific tactics and towards a more comprehensive planning model when approaching these elections. The book also emphasizes, similar to the accountability model, effective use of data in the key areas of canvassing, get-out-the-vote, and communications. Our goal in writing the book was to help superintendents be more successful at the ballot box.

What are a few key aspects of leadership, in terms of school finance elections, that you feel are important for new educational administrators to know?

The first thing that new administrators should know is that there is a substantial body of research directly related to school finance elections. Second, comprehensive and effective campaign planning long before Election Day is essential. Third, it is important to do a realistic inventory of the school district's assets in terms of what is needed to run an effective campaign, and then supplement those assets as necessary (e.g., Web design for the campaign committee). Last, success at the polls is a blend of science (research), best practice, and art in terms of making judgments about what makes sense in your community. What worked in a neighboring district might not work at home.