School briefs: South Washington County school board taking applications to replace member

The application process is set for people wishing to complete the term of Jim Gelbmann, who is stepping down from the South Washington County school board.

Gelbmann, who has served on the board for 18 years, announced on April 10 he was stepping down on June 30 due to an illness and a demanding work schedule at the state House. He had more than a year left to serve in his fifth four-year term.

Applications are being accepted beginning Monday, May 19, until 4 p.m. May 30, and must include a letter of interest, résumé, letters of recommendation and a list of school, school district and community volunteer activities, a district news release said.

To be eligible, applicants must be 21, a resident of the district for at least 30 days and eligible to vote.

Applications should be sent to the Superintendent's Office at 7362 East Point Douglas Road S., Cottage Grove, 55016.

The board is expected to make the appointment at its June 19 meeting, the district said. The new member will be sworn in on July 17.

Last week, the district also provided to the Star Tribune the salaries of its two new assistant superintendents. Julie Nielsen, the principal this year at Middleton Elementary School in Woodbury, and Michael Johnson, an administrator in the River Falls School District, will be paid $132,000, the district said.

She is likely to pursue a career in medical research, a news release said.

Students qualified for the scholarships by taking the 2012 PSAT. In September, about 16,000 students were named semifinalists, and about 8,000 finalists have been selected to receive scholarships totaling $35 million.

The other county residents to win $2,500 scholarships were Lucy Li, of Woodbury, who attends St. Paul Academy and Summit School in St. Paul and is considering a career in biological engineering, and Lucy Yang, of Cottage Grove, who attends East Ridge High in Woodbury and is weighing a career in medicine.

Additional scholarships are expected to be announced on May 28 and July 14.

Seven students at Skyview Middle School in Oakdale received blue ribbons for civic education projects presented at the State Capitol on May 8.

On May 8, the policies were presented to legislators and other government officials in an event at the Capitol dubbed the Project Citizen Showcase.

Two Skyview eighth-graders, Mairin Barrett and Peri Mazza, received a blue ribbon for a project on a bee colony collapse.

Five seventh-graders received blue-ribbon honors for two projects. They were: Addison Latterell, Josslen Thieschafer and Logan Muller, who developed an antibullying campaign, and Regan Kierzek and Sarah Mazzarese, who focused their efforts on gun control, a North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District news release said.

Students also met with Secretary of State Mark Ritchie as part of the event.