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SURREY - This school year brings a new role for Steven Bucks as Surrey Public School's superintendent. He takes over from Central Regional Education Association interim superintendent Dr. Luke Schaefer.
Bucks said his career has been an interesting evolution that led him from teaching in the classroom to holding leadership positions in administration.
Bucks originally intended to become a pilot before shifting toward education, which led him to leave his home state of Wisconsin and attend Minnesota State University, Mankato, for its flight program. He met his wife, Dawn, who is also an educator, while completing his bachelor's degree in elementary education.
After earning his master's degree in Minnesota, he said, he felt there was still something missing. His goal was to become an assistant principal because he enjoyed being closely involved with students and found the work fulfilling.
Encouraged by his wife, Bucks eventually moved into a principal role.
"My wife was my cheerleader," he said. "She said, 'You did this. You went to be a principal, so you're going to be a principal.'"
Bucks cast a wide net for his first administrative position and ended up in Lemmon, South Dakota, where he spent two years as an elementary principal before he was pushed into the superintendent's office, where he stayed for the next five years.
He later moved to Malta, Montana, before family brought him back to North Dakota. His children live throughout the state, and his daughter has two children, which was another factor in wanting to be closer to family.
Bucks said Surrey's location and growth were factors that attracted him to the district. He sees the community as a small-town option for people who want to live outside Minot while still having access to resources.
Bucks said so far his first impressions of the district have been positive.
"I've heard nothing but good praises about our staff," he said. "I'm encouraged."
The district's $5.8 million bond measure is a priority for Bucks as Surrey continues to grow. After narrowly failing in a vote in June, the measure will be on the ballot again this November. The bond would have added classrooms to replace the aging portables, as well as other required repairs and updates to areas of the school that haven't been touched in decades.
Bucks anticipates after the bond passes and construction is finished, the district will see an increase in enrollment like he saw after the new school facility was built in Lemmon during his previous role.
"I think we can get this bond passed; that'll be key," he said. "Build it and they will come."
As he gets started in Surrey, Bucks said his approach is to focus on growth rather than simply identifying problems. With his long-standing interest in leadership development, he said he plans to work with staff on their individual and professional goals and to provide support when problems arise.
"I like when teachers come to me and say, 'I'm struggling with this, or I need help with this,'" Bucks said. "I don't always have the answers, but the conversation usually drives toward a resolution."
Bucks believes Surrey is a community that has room to grow while retaining the qualities that make it a small town. For now, he is focused on learning the district, meeting its people and building the relationships he believes will be the foundation for everything else.
"What if we live intentionally and try to create a better situation?" he said.
While building relationships may be his first goal, Bucks' larger objective is growth - for himself, the staff, the students and the community in which he serves.