Annual Meeting Tonight Will Seat New Board Member and Elect New Officers

A new member and potentially new officers will be installed when the Board of Education for the Rapid City Area Schools holds its annual meeting tonight, Thursday, July 16 at 5:30 p.m. Following tradition, the “old” board will meet for the first half of the meeting and conclude the business of the 2008-2009 school year. Then the old board will step down and the new members of the board will be sworn in and seated. With this transition, Arnie Laubach will complete his three-year term. Suzan Nolan will be sworn in to represent Area 1 on the board. Doug Kinniburgh and Sheryl Kirkeby will be sworn in to new three-year terms.

The agenda for the “old” board tonight includes a number of important items, including final approval of the proposed 2009-2010 budget. The Rapid City Journal, however, posted news on Wednesday that the District will receive an additional $7 million from the federal government as part of the stimulus program. It remains to be seen whether the board will give the public a chance to see and comment on how the District plans to spend this money before the board approves the budget. Currently, this item is on the “consent calendar,” which means that the board will vote on it without discussion. However, any board member may ask that the item be removed from the consent calendar.

The old board is also slated to approve a number of revisions to district policies relating to attendance, nondiscrimination, dual enrollment in high school and post-secondary institutions (e.g. WDT and SDSMT), and emergency evacuation plans for handicapped students.  

There may be some controversy over the presentation of a proposed new high school activities handbook. Some board members have concerns about some of the language in the handbook and rules that seem to set different standards for student academic performance based on which activity the student is involved with.

The old board is also being asked to approve a partial payment to a consultant hired to develop a new budget format for the District. In a July 5 editorial, the Rapid City Journal echoed the sentiments of some board members who expressed concerns about paying a consultant to do work that should be done by the District’s administrative staff.

When the new board is seated midway through the overall meeting, the first order of business will be to elect officers for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Current Board President Sheryl Kirkeby has expressed her willingness to continue to serve as an officer, but she is likely to be challenged for the president’s position by Wes Storm. The board will also elect a first and second vice president to fill out the officer slots.

As it does every year, the new board will set the schedule for board meetings for the coming year and designate various officials to represent the District, including the District’s lawyers. Before the annual meeting adjourns, the board is expected to set a date for a special study session to discuss the proposed plans for renovating Central High School.

The public is encouraged to attend the meeting. A copy of the agenda is on the District’s website. Click on the meeting link in the calendar box.