Crookston Public Schools Superintendent Jeremy Olson has accepted the position of Superintendent at the Bemidji School District after being selected as the final candidate for the job after the second round of interviews at the Bemidji district office on Thursday, April 21. Olson was offered the job on the 21st and took the weekend to make a decision. Olson, after talking with his family decided to take the job in Bemidji and it wasn’t an easy decision with daughters in the Crookston School District. 
Olson has been Crookston Public Schools superintendent since 2018 and acted previously as Superintendent of school districts in Underwood and Henning. Prior to Underwood and Henning, Olson served as Superintendent and principal at Pingree-Buchanan School District in North Dakota and had prior experience in a variety of teaching and principal roles in elementary, middle, and high schools.
Olson was offered the Bemidji job on Thursday and he spent Friday touring the Bemidji area. He spent the weekend thinking about staying in Crookston or moving to Bemidji. He talked with his family and ultimately on Monday, he decided to take the job.
When asked why he chose to move to Bemidji, Olson explained that it was an opportunity for him to grow in leadership and his abilities and challenge himself to higher levels than before. “The Bemidji School District is about four times larger than Crookston, so that presented some unique challenges that I’ll be able to face,” said Olson. “And as a Superintendent, you always want to grow in your leadership and your abilities, and this presents that next step for me as far as professional growth and challenging myself professionally.” The decision was a difficult one for Olson with the many connections he’s made in the Crookston School District and community, as well as the ones that his family has made. “This was not a decision that was made lightly. I spent about four days agonizing over the decision of whether or not to accept this position because I feel so connected to the community of Crookston, and I feel that this is a good and strong district that’s going in a good direction. I think there are some good things on the horizon for Crookston Public Schools,” said Olson. “I have really mixed emotions about it, one side being excited for new opportunities and challenges, but on the other hand, I’m going to miss a lot of really good people and a really good school system. I know my kids will miss it because we were embraced with open arms when we came to Crookston and we really appreciated being here.”
Bemidji advertised an opening for a new Superintendent position after their current Superintendent Tim Lutz announced his retirement at a school board meeting on January 24.
With Olson’s departure, the Crookston School District School Board will hold a Special School Board meeting to make a decision on whether to begin a full search for a new Superintendent or hire an Interim Superintendent for a year, then start a full search for the position at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year. During his final weeks at Crookston, Olson says that he will be offering advice and support to his replacement, interim or full-time, before his departure to ensure the district will be left in good hands for the school’s upcoming school and community projects. “I feel very strongly and committed to the success of Crookston, and I want to see the next person have a strong footing when they start,” said Olson. He also plans to complete the bidding process of the referendum projects for Washington Elementary School and the Middle School addition for the High School before leaving to let the new Superintendent deal with just the building process of the projects.
Olson’s final day at Crookston will be on June 30, and he will take over at the Bemidji School District on July 1. The Bemidji School Board is set to conduct contract negotiations with Olson, and a contract is expected to be approved at a special meeting on May 2.
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