Nystrom retiring

Talk about it

WORTHINGTON — In his more than 26 years on the District 518 School Board, Lowell Nystrom has seen the results of the board’s work on a personal level.

When Nystrom began on the board in July of 1982, his four children ranged in age from kindergarten to twelfth grade.

“Our kids got a good start in the district, a really good start. They all got good careers but they got a good start here,” he said.

Over the years, Nystrom has seen some debate on a lot of educational issues come down the pike. He’s also seen a number of hot button issues.

“I remember when I started, the board spent some time talking about the sex ed policy,” he said. “It created quite a bit of interest.” He also listed participation fees in sports, admission fees for band concerts and the switch to block scheduling at the high school as decisions faced by the board in his time.

“Funding for schools is a big issue and will continue to be an issue, especially with state cuts coming up,” he added.

He’s also seen many changes in leadership and members.

“The board has been a real good bunch. There’s a lot more compromise than you see in St. Paul or D.C. A lot of people belive in this district in this town,” he said. “I couldn’t do the work of a teacher … I respect them a lot.”

“One thing about Lowell is he cares deeply about the school district and the kids and it shows in his commitment,” said Superintendant John Landgaard. “He’s been a part of the school board for over a quarter of a century, so he’s been involved with many facets of helping to shape the district and helping build quality programs whether academic or extra curricular.”

Nystrom retired from farming several years ago and now plans to fully retire, maybe doing a bit of traveling with his wife, Ruth.

“It’s time (to retire). It’s been a lot longer than I expected it would be. There’ll be a couple things I won’t miss, but for the most part I’ll miss it,” he said.

District 518 will host a retirement party for Nystrom from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Worthington High School Media Center. The event is open to the public.

Tags: news, lowellnystrom, district518, schoolboard, retirement