New schools, big budgets.
It's an important time to be a school board member in Sioux Falls.
Two seats are up for grabs this Spring.
The terms of two board members, Kent Alberty and Julie Westra, are up. Alberty is running for re-election.
Three others have also expressed interest.
It's a position that comes with a lot of responsibility. The Sioux Falls School District spends a lot of taxpayer dollars, all for the benefit of the 23,000 children in the district. Right now only four people have petitions out to run for the two seats up for election in May....including incumbent Kent Alberty. Any registered voter in the Sioux Falls School District can run for a seat on the school board....they simply need to pick up a candidate packet with a petition form from the Sioux Falls Instructional Planning Center.
Potential candidates must turn in 20 valid petition signatures by April 12th and campaign for the May 21st election.
School board members come from all walks of life and do not have to be parents....they simply need to care about educating kids in the district. Bev Chase is with the Sioux Falls election department. "They should have a broad love of children and they should want the best for all 23 thousand kids, they shouldn't come with an agenda for one issue, they should want the best for all 23,000."
The budget issues and new laws passed during this legislative session will create some very important decisions for the new school board members elected in May....including the choice to have trained school sentinels carry weapons in the classroom.
The four people currently petitioning to become a candidate are incumbent Kent Alberty, Scott Ershman, Matt Leedom and Joshua Schorzmann.
Again anyone can join that list before April 12th.
