Finance Director to leave school district

By Chuck Kajer

Randy Anderson, the New Prague Area School's Finance Director, has resigned to take a position with Dakota County Technical College (DCTC).

The New Prague Area School Board learned of the resignation as a supplemental item at Monday's school board meeting. Anderson will stay on with the district through late March, helping to finish much of the budgeting work for the 2005-06 school year, before becoming Vice President for Finance and Operations at DCTC, located in Rosemount.

Anderson came to New Prague in the mid-1990s as a business education teacher and tennis coach. A former college coach and still a teaching professional, he brought the girls tennis program from a position as the conference doormat to respectability. In 1999, he became the director of finance and human resources for the school district, taking over at a time when the district was making major budget cuts due to slower than anticipated enrollment. He directed a similar turnaround in the district's finances.

Darwin Viker of Larson, Allen, Weishar & Co, the school district's auditing firm, said Anderson's efforts have put the school in a good financial position for the future thanks to sound financial planning and budgeting practices. Viker presented the district's annual audit at Monday's meeting.

The district's strong financial shape contributed to a strong bond rating, which resulted in a better than expected interest rate when the district sold $35 million in bonds Monday to build two elementary schools. The low interest rate will result in $2.5 million in interest savings over the life of the bonds.

Superintendent Dr. Frankie Poplau said the district’s administrative and teaching staff is made up of very talented people who are often being lured by new positions.

“We offer congratulations to Randy in securing such a prestigious position, and will be forever grateful for the six years he gave the district as finance director,” she said.

This was a hard decision for me