Oakdale middle school principal found dead in Woodbury park

An Oakdale principal and South Washington County school board member was found dead Wednesday morning, two school districts reported.

Joe Slavin was principal at Skyview Middle School and had been on the District 833 school board since 2015. The Woodbury Bulletin was linking his death to a police report of a man found dead at Carver Lake Park in Woodbury.

"Sadly, the district is confirming the unexpected death of school board member Joe Slavin. We received confirmation of this through the Woodbury Police Department this afternoon," said a statement on the South Washington County website.

Slavin, 45, was a principal in the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale district, separate from South Washington County. He was supposed to become the Oakdale district's new director of communications and technology innovation on July 1, according to a statement from Superintendent Christine Osorio.

He had worked in the Oakdale district since 1995, was an instructional technology coach, led building technology initiatives, and developed and taught online and blended courses at the university level, the superintendent's statement said.

"Mr. Slavin was a warm and caring person. His presence and leadership will be deeply missed," Osorio wrote.

Social workers and counselors will meet with students and staff at Skyview in the coming days, she said.

Slavin was married with three daughters who attend school in the South Washington district, according to district information. He had education degrees from Winona State University. On May 29, he tweeted: "Proud to celebrate Memorial Day with my dad as he and fellow servicemen honor the fallen."

Wednesday's 911 call came about 8:30 a.m. after a park visitor noticed a man unresponsive near his vehicle, said Michelle Okada, a Woodbury police spokeswoman.

The time and cause of death are under investigation but there is no threat to the public and officers aren't searching for anyone, she said.

Kevin Giles • 651-925-5037