Royalton School District superintendent dies in vehicle crash

(From the St.Cloud Times)

ST. CLOUD, Minn. - A school official says Superintendent John. P. Franzoia of the Royalton Public Schools has died in a vehicle crash.

Phil Gurbada is principal of the Royalton Elementary School. He says the 62-year-old died Saturday following a crash the previous night.

The State Patrol says Franzoia was driving Friday about 6:15 p.m. when he was rear-ended by a 49-year-old St. Cloud man. That driver was in jail Saturday after authorities said they detected alcohol.

Gurbada says news of the accident was "a major shock." He says he feels a lot of grief because Franzoia is such a good friend.

Franzoia worked at Royalton for more than 23 years. He was superintendent for about 18 years and high-school principal for six.

The district has about 675 students.

If the accident and death was a result of drunk driving, I hope they lock the scumbag up for a long, long time. A terrible shock for the small school district that sits up near Pierz/Little Falls. In the first year of the B-B-E Jaguars, 1988-1989, Royalton was one of our conference opponents in the old Prairie Conference, which Royalton is still a member of.