Seven Moorhead residents have stepped forward as candidates for the Moorhead School Board election on Nov. 5. Four are incumbents running for an additional term – Cassidy Bjorklund, Melissa Burgard, Matt Valan and current board chair Scott Steffes. They face three challengers: Marisa Ahlering, Azad Berwari and Mark Rice.
Melissa Burgard
Melissa Burgard and her husband Rick Foster both grew up in Moorhead and graduated from Moorhead High School. They have two children, a who’s a freshman at Concordia after graduating from MHS, and a daughter in eighth grade at Horizon Middle School. She is seeking her third term on the school board, after serving as its treasurer and chair.
Burgard cites funding as a major issue facing Moorhead schools, along with the rest of the public schools in Minnesota. “Better funding is required to assist our districts in purchasing curricula, keeping up with technology, offering transportation and, simply, most everything we need to operate well and support our students in achieving their goals,” she says.

Cassidy Bjorklund
Cassidy Bjorklund was elected to the school board in 2017. A native of Moorhead, she is a graduate of Moorhead High School. She and her husband has three children who have gone through the school district. She chaired of the “Vote Yes” committee for the 2019 school bond referendum. She has also served as president of a Parent Teacher Advisory Council president and participated in district hiring committees.

Scott Steffes
Board chair Scott Steffes, who is completing his third term as a member, grew up on a Clay County farm in rural Clay County, moving to Moorhead 31 years ago. He and wife Kristi have two daughters who are graduates of Moorhead High School. He spent 29 years as a Clay County deputy sheriff, retiring in 2022. The bond to build the new high school was passed during one of his terms as chair.
Steffes says, “My main goal is to continue to work on the retention and recruitment of our teachers and school staff. I will continue to work to provide a safe, healthy and equitable school environment for all students and staff. I will also continue to work with the MN Legislative leaders to gain more funding for our public schools.”

Matt Valan
Matt Valan is a lifelong District 152 resident, and a graduate of MHS and Concordia College, with grandchildren currently attending the Moorhead schools. A pastor of the ELCA, he has served the Moorhead area as a faith leader since 1982, with a personal emphasis on youth and the elderly. He has served on many community boards and task forced over the years.
He is committed, he says, to “continuing our diligent work toward safe schools and surrounding environments for students and staff.” His priorities also include attracting, retaining and valuing district employees at all levels, as well as finding creative strategies to attract paraprofessionals and bus drivers. “We need to keep up with preventive maintenance of our buildings, with ages ranging from the 1950s to today,” he says. “At the same time, fiscal awareness and accountability are vital as we address falling revenue from state government sources while balancing myriad present and future needs.

Marissa Ahlering
Marissa Ahlering moved to Moorhead 7 years ago when her oldest started kindergarten; she now has two daughters in the district. She has a doctorate in biology, currently serving as director of science for a conservation nonprofit. She has served on the Moorhead Human Rights Commission, the Probstfield Parent Teacher Advisory Committee, and the school district’s instruction and curriculum advisory committee.
“As a parent, I have a personal interest in keeping Moorhead schools going strong,” she says. “I want our schools to work for and support all students in our community and prepare them for bright futures.
“Moorhead, and Moorhead schools, are growing, making it a challenge for funding to keep up with their growing building and staffing needs,” she adds. Her concerns include the increasing need for mental health support for students and support for teachers and staff with student behavioral challenges; retention and support of teachers and staff; and policy adjustments to improve work culture and inclusion. “Finally, creating a culture of open, transparent communication within the schools and with the public is always important to build and maintain.”

Azad Berwari
Azad Berwari, who is originally from Kurdistan in northern Iraq, has lived in Moorhead since 2010. He is an assistant team leader with at the Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program Office. Berwari has volunteered as an interpreter and translator He was a vice president at Moorhead Head Start and is a member of the board of Family Healthcare Center in Fargo.

Mark Rice
Mark Rice, a lifelong Moorhead resident, is a graduate of MHS, as are his two daughters. He is a member of the board of the Moorhead Legacy Education Foundation.