Welcome Mrs. Wanek

Wanek to lead Pelican Rapids schools

Photo and story by Tom Hintgen (Contact) The Daily Journal
Published Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Bagley native and current part-time Henning Schools Superintendent Deborah Wanek looks forward to a new chapter in her academic career when she assumes duties July 1 as the superintendent for Pelican Rapids School District 548.

“I’m appreciative of the opportunity to work with the board of education, students, teachers, staff, parents and residents of the school district,” Wanek said. “Good things are happening at the high school and Viking Elementary and, with everyone working together, I’m confident this trend can continue.”

Wanek applauds cultural diversity in the Pelican Rapids school system.

“Students who become acclimated to various cultures become well-rounded individuals,” she said. “In Pelican Rapids, the students have an opportunity to tap into various cultures from throughout the world. It’s a big advantage for those attending the high school and Viking Elementary.”

Wanek said she’s also heard good things about the multicultural learning center at the Pelican Rapids Public Library and how the center is a successful resource for the public school system.

She also applauds the Multi-District Cultural Collaborative program in which Pelican Rapids shares its diversity with the six area schools. Nadine Brown is the coordinator.

“I’ve had the opportunity, through the board of education, to meet many school district employees and residents of the Pelican Rapids School District” she said. “Everyone appreciates the value of education for our young people.”

Wanek lives in rural Fergus Falls with her husband Randy, who works at West Central Initiative, and daughter Elizabeth, a high school sophomore. Daughter Alyssa attends the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and daughter Suzanne lives in Fargo. She is taking classes through MSCTC, Fergus Falls.

Wanek has served as part-time superintendent at Henning since July 2001. She served her internship, in order to obtain a superintendent license, at Fergus Falls Public Schools in 2000-01.
She began her academic career in 1986-87 as a Title I teacher at Cleveland Elementary School in Fergus Falls. She subsequently taught first grade and fourth grade for 10 years at Adams elementary and one year as a fifth-grade teacher at the Fergus Falls Middle School.

Wanek became principal at Rothsay High School in 1998 and served there until 2000. She became part-time superintendent at Henning after her year-long superintendent internship in Fergus Falls.

Board of Education chairman Steve Strand and other board members said they look forward to working with Wanek when she begins her new duties in six weeks.

“Deborah is an excellent communicator who also has a good grasp of the financial challenges involved with running a school district,” Strand said. “Each person we talked to in Henning was very complimentary of her. It was a unanimous decision by all six of us on the board to education to hire Deborah.”