FARGO — A Fargo Public Schools board member has suggested outgoing Superintendent Rupak Gandhi leave that position early due to his work with an outside consulting business.
Allie Ollenburger also alerted another local media outlet about the matter, said fellow board member Robin Nelson, leading to what Nelson called a false report about a conflict of interest for Gandhi that cited an unnamed “school board source.”
“It’s pretty unfortunate … and I would question that board member’s motives,” Nelson told The Forum on Wednesday, March 12.
David Samson/The Forum
Gandhi announced in November he would resign at the end of the school year
in order to pursue a consulting business with his wife, Britney Gandhi, superintendent of the Richland 44 School District in Colfax.
Their new business, OptimizED Strategic Solutions, has taken on some clients, including the city of Fargo, according to documents obtained by The Forum.
Emails between the Gandhis and the city indicate the couple worked on a grant application for a new “deflection center” aimed at addressing homelessness, and made a pitch to the city regarding an AI-driven legislative bill tracker.
The emails from Rupak Gandhi were sent at 5 p.m. on a weekday in December and on the following Sunday, according to email time stamps.
A Fargo Public Schools policy indicates employees
may not engage in any outside activity that directly or indirectly conflicts with their duties.
AnnMarie Campbell, chief communications officer for the district, said there has been no discussion of issues surrounding Gandhi’s new business at any board or committee meeting.
Nelson said she does not see a conflict of interest and said Rupak Gandhi pledged after announcing his resignation that his first priority will be Fargo Public Schools through the term of his contract.
Board President Katie Christensen Mineer said Gandhi has been very upfront with the board about his business.
“I’m not concerned. He’s been able to fulfill his duties and his responsibilities,” she said, adding the board recently completed an evaluation of Gandhi, unanimously giving him satisfactory marks.
Nelson said Ollenburger texted her earlier this week to suggest Gandhi exit his job early.
She said Ollenburger added that associate superintendents Bob Grosz and Missy Eidsness could run the district before incoming superintendent Cory Steiner takes over on July 1.
“I said ‘No … We need to fulfill the contract and I assume he (Gandhi) will too,’” Nelson said.
Prior to being elected to the school board last June, Ollenburger was an outspoken critic of Gandhi.
In campaign ads, she called out his hiring practices and defiance of a new state law regarding transgender students, in which he said
he’d prioritize keeping students safe over following the law.
In 2021, Ollenburger also helped lead a failed effort to recall four Fargo school board members,
taking issue in part with the district’s decisions on masking and distance learning during the pandemic.
C.S. Hagen / The Forum
Asked by The Forum Wednesday for comment on the situation involving Gandhi’s new business, Ollenburger said, “I am not willing to go on record or speak on behalf of the board on this matter.”
Nelson said Gandhi is as committed as he has always been, and is working hard on long-range facilities plans and community engagement.
Christensen Mineer said she will likely remind school board members about board policy relating to communicating with the media, which calls for the board president to be the spokesperson in most circumstances.
“It’s concerning when you see something pop up in the media that’s not true,” she said.