Board Election Will Shape District’s Future

As voters head to the polls tomorrow to cast ballots for school board candidates, their votes are likely to affect decisions on key issues in education in Rapid City. For much of the last year the Board has been divided on key policy issues with a 4 to 3 majority supporting various Administrative positions. The defeat of either one of the incumbents running for re-election could change that balance. In Area 1 (south of South Middle School), voters will choose between four candidates: Suzan Nolan, Arnie Laubach (incumbent), Heather Gosch and Candice Estes. In Area 2 (north Robbinsdale and the central part of the city), two candidates are actively competing for the seat: Curt Pochardt and Sheryl Kirkeby (incumbent). In Area 7 (Rapid Valley), incumbent Doug Kinniburgh is unopposed and will not appear on the ballot.

Over the last month, a number of issues have clearly risen to the top of voters’ minds as they head to the polls:

• Central High School renovation – architects, engineers and cost estimators are currently working on detailed drawings and budgets for the proposed renovation of Central. Last summer, the project was estimated to cost $25 million, but when the cost estimates are presented later this month, some people are saying the total price tag will be closer to $40 million. The $15 million difference is roughly equal to the price tag for the new General Beadle Elementary, and some members of the Board are concerned that the wish list for the project has grown beyond what is needed.
• Facilities Master Planning – the renovation of Central High School is part of a 10-year master plan for facilities prepared for the Board last year by consultants. The plan calls for the closure of several schools (Horace Mann, Dakota, Canyon Lake, Wilson), the renovation of others (South Middle School), and changes in school attendance boundaries. All of these moves are designed to improve the learning environment for students and lower operating costs for the District. But they are likely to spark controversy and call for strong leadership on the part of the Board.
• Third High School – The consultant’s report suggested that within ten years Rapid City will need a third high school. They recommended that the District start with a smaller facility that could be expanded as demand grows. One option under consideration is the construction of a Technical High School next to Western Dakota Tech. Board members will have to evaluate this option in light of the District’s capital budget and with some eye to the continuing legislative battle over the future governance of the Technical Institutes.
• Student Achievement – The District has not met the state’s standards for student achievement in reading and math for the last several years. If No Child Left Behind test scores do not improve and the law itself stays on the books, the State and the District will be forced to take dramatic steps to fix the situation.
• Budget Cuts – For the last two years the Board has cut staff to deal with an ongoing structural deficit. The cutting is likely to continue next year given current economic conditions and the condition of the state budget. Board members will have to decide whether to keep cutting existing programs or eliminate services altogether.
• Opt Out – As an alternative to continued cuts, the Board could choose to “opt out” of the property tax cap. Previous discussions of the opt out option have been in the range of $50 a year per $100,000 of a homeowner’s assessed value. If the Board chooses to opt out, it can either impose the opt out on taxpayers or put the issue on the ballot for voters to decide.
• Indian Education – As Indian students account for an increasing percentage of all students in Rapid City and as test scores show the gap between Indian and non-Indian student achievement holding steady or widening in reading and math, this issue will continue to be a priority for the Board.
• Compulsory Attendance until 18 — This fall a new law takes effect compelling students to attend high school until graduation or age 18. The new law is likely to add several hundred students to Rapid City’s already crowded high schools. The Board will have to approve programs designed to meet the educational needs of these students.
• Superintendent — After ten years at the helm of the Rapid City Area Schools, Dr. Peter Wharton has indicated that he will be retiring soon. In all likelihood, Board members elected tomorrow will be faced with the challenge of recruiting and hiring a new superintendent sometime in the next three years. At that time, the Board will have to decide how it wants to involve the community and staff in the process and agree on what it’s looking for in a new leader.
• Technology — In 2005 the District chose to replace nearly all of its school computers. Expected to last five years, these machines will be approaching the end of their useful life next year and it will be time for the District to make an equally significant capital investment in new technology.

To read where the candidates stand on some of these issues, check out the profiles submitted by some of the candidates under the “Election” heading to the right. (Note: candidates Heather Gosch, Arnie Laubach and Doug Kinniburgh did not respond to invitations to submit profiles.) The Rapid City Journal also featured Q&As with the candidates in the paper last week. The candidates also offered opinions at the DIA forum last week.