St. Francis Area Schools Superintendent Karsten Anderson has announced the hiring of Karla Winter as the next principal at St. Francis Elementary School. The selection is contingent on board approval in June.
“We were hoping to find an instructional leader with previous experience as a principal; we found her,” Anderson said. “Karla's previous work as an elementary principal and Director of Teaching and Learning set her apart and will help continue the strong tradition at St. Francis Elementary School."
Since 2022, Winter has been an administrator within Chisholm Public Schools where she served as a principal at both Vaughan-Steffensrud School (Pre-K-3rd grade) and Chisholm Elementary School (4th-6th grade). The two locations combined for about 350 students.
“The position at St. Francis Elementary School appealed to me because of the district’s strong core values and mission, which align closely with my own beliefs about education,” Winter said. “I’m especially drawn to the emphasis on building a community of learners, fostering collaboration, and committing to continuous improvement. These values reflect the kind of environment where students thrive, educators feel supported, and everyone works together.”
Prior to moving north, Winter spent 25 years educating students in a K-12 environment in southeast Minnesota. From 2010-2020 she served as the Title I Coordinator & Reading/Math Interventionist at Winona Area Public Schools before earning the role of Director of Learning and Teaching (K-12) in the district. Winter also owns 13 years of classroom teaching in first and second grade, and as a K-2 special education teacher.
“I'm most excited about the opportunity to build strong relationships with the staff, students, and families of SFES,” Winter said. “I'm also eager to be part of a team that works together to support and elevate students in their academic and social emotional growth.”
"There were many qualified candidates for the position,” Anderson said. “The selection process included a review of applications by three administrators, a first-round interview with many SFES staff members, and a second-round interview by District Cabinet members. Several people were contacted for reference checks.”