Jan. 12—MITCHELL — The Mitchell Board of Education will discuss passing a resolution in opposition to proposed school voucher programs when it meets Monday, Jan. 13 in regular session.
The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at L.B. Williams Elementary School.
In his agenda notes, Joe Childs, superintendent for the Mitchell School District said that the district expects a number of school voucher bills to be brought up during the 2025 session of the South Dakota legislature. He said those bills would have a negative impact on public schools should they become law.
Organizations like the Associated School Boards of South Dakota agree with that assessment, he said.
“(The Associated School Boards of South Dakota) believes our public schools need to make a statement to our legislators in opposition of any and all school voucher proposals, and I have included a school board resolution opposing school voucher proposals for board consideration,” Childs wrote.
Among the proposed bills is the Education Savings Account, or House Bill 1020, a proposal from Gov. Kristi Noem that would send $4 million to provide families with public money for private school, homeschooling or other forms of alternative instruction.
Critics of school vouchers and similar programs say that they divert funding away from public schools, lack a high level of public accountability, are not available to all students and that the programs show mixed results when it comes to student academic performance.
Proponents suggest such programs empower families in their decision making on education for their children and that all families should have access to alternatives, regardless of ability to pay.
Also at the meeting, the board is expected to consider the following personnel moves:
* The new certified hire of Heather Zins, high school assistant wrestling coach, $4,488, effective 2024-25 school year.
* The new classified hires of Michele Bigelow, paraeducator at L.B. Williams Elementary, $16 per hour, 7 hours daily, effective Jan. 13; Hanna Dalton, paraeducator at Longfellow Elementary, $16 per hour, 7 hours daily, effective Jan. 6; Cindy Schneider, paraeducator at Longfellow Elementary, $22 per hour, 7 hours daily, effective Jan. 6 and Sheena Loudner-Swan, paraeducator at Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary, $16 per hour, 7 hours daily, effective Jan. 8.
* The transfers of Taramee Paulson, paraeducator at Longfellow Elementary to paraeducator at Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary, effective Jan. 6; Karmin McGinnis, 0.5 FTE begindergarten and 0.5 FTE Title teacher at L.B. Williams Elementary to 1.0 FTE begindergarten teacher at L.B. Williams Elementary, effective 2025-26 school year; Susan Dodd, 0.5 FTE begindergarten and 0.5 FTE Title teacher to 1.0 FTE begindergarten teacher at Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary, effective 2025-26 school year; Taylor Schramm, 0.5 FTE begindergarten and 0.5 FTE Title teacher at Longfellow Elementary to 1.0 FTE begindergarten teacher at Longfellow Elementary, effective 2025-26 school year.
* The resignations of Rochelle Wortman, paraeducator at Longfellow Elementary, effective Dec. 20, 2024; Angela Neugebauer, speech language at Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary, effective end of the 2024-25 school year and Rebecca Rooster, food service at Mitchell Middle School, effective Dec. 20, 2024.
* The new Mitchell Technical College hires of Jeff Sand, general education instructor, $35,000, effective Dec. 20, 2024; Jerry Ehkle, electrical utilities and substation technology consultant, $22,416, effective Jan. 1 and Crystal Freund, general education adjunct instructor (SOC 150 — 3 credits and SPCM 101 — 3 credits), $5,400, effective Jan. 1.
* The Mitchell Technical College resignations of James Bultje, information systems technology instructor, effective Jan. 6 and Sarah Ellis, general education instructor, effective Dec. 19, 2024.
Also at the meeting, the board is expected to:
* Consider to declare the Mitchell Technical College student-built house #111 as surplus.
* Enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing the qualifications, competence, performance, character or fitness of any public officer or employee or prospective public officer or employee. The session is labeled as the “annual evaluation of the superintendent of schools.”
* Consider offering new two-year contract to Joe Childs as superintendent of schools.
* Set the date of June 3, 2025 for the school election. The seats currently occupied by Deb Olson and Terry Aslesen are up for election in 2025.
* Hear board member reports.
* Hear the superintendent report.
* Hold a recognition of Suzanne Skinner, recipient of the Bettye Brown Teacher Excellence Award.
The Mitchell Republic will livestream the meeting on its website. The meeting is also open to the public.