March 10, 2025 5:00 pm - Executive Session - Regular Board Meeting (Executive Session before and after board meeting)

Background:  The following personnel are presented for the board’s consideration:
New Hire (Certificated): Nakeisha Hawkins, special services teacher, Sturgis Brown High School, $50,000.00, eff. beginning of the 2025-26 school year; Sadie Cole, special services teacher, Stagebarn Middle School, $50,000.00, eff. beginning of the 2025-26 school year.

New Hire (Support Staff): Austin Murtha, food service head cook, district-wide, $15.45/hr, eff. 2/10/2025; Haley Ferguson, special services paraprofessional, Sturgis Williams Middle School, $16.50/hr, eff. 2/18/2025; Teagan Klein, food service worker, Sturgis Brown High School, $14.70/hr, eff. 3/3/2025; Tessa Van Pelt, food service worker, Stagebarn Middle School, $14.70/hr, eff. 3/4/2025.

Resignation (Certificated): Sarah Walker, teacher, Stagebarn Middle School, eff. end of the 2024-25 school year; Riley Seeds, special services teacher, Sturgis Brown High School, eff. end of the 2024-25 school year; Bailey Zwahr, special services teacher, Sturgis Elementary, eff. end of the 2024-25 school year.

Resignation (Support Staff): Grace Fogelman, special services paraprofessional, Sturgis Williams Middle School, eff. 2/28/2025; Sierra Wilson, special services paraprofessional, Sturgis Williams Middle School, eff. 3/14/2025.

Retirement (Certificated): Marnie Masten, teacher, Piedmont Valley Elementary, eff. end of the 2024-25 school year.

Background:  The monthly financial reports for the board’s review.  Brett Burditt will answer any questions you might have regarding financials. 

Background:  Community members who have volunteered to work in schools throughout the district: None have been presented.

Background:  Extracurricular coaches and volunteer coaches will be updated monthly. Any changes will be highlighted in yellow.

Background:  This is the third and final reading of School Board Policy JED: Student Absences and Excuses

Background:  The Policy Committee is recommending removing School Board Policy CB: School Superintendent, as the committee recommends replacing it and adopting the following School Board Policy's CBB, CBC and CBG.

Background:  The Policy Committee is recommending to remove School Board Policy CHCA: Approval of Handbooks and replace with School Board Policy BFCA: Board Regulations and Handbooks. Policy BFCA was adopted on 9/11/2023.

Background:  Board members and school administrators/officials need to request a conflict of interest waiver before participating in or voting upon a decision concerning an application in which that member has a direct personal or financial interest.  

Background:  Open Forum is an opportunity for patrons to share their thoughts and concerns.  The school board will listen, but no discussion takes place and there will not be board action.  Board members may ask clarifying questions. The protocol established for open forum is to provide a time limit of three minutes to share concerns.  If a patron would like to have a two-way discussion, they are encouraged to schedule a meeting with the superintendent. 

Appropriate and respectful public decorum is expected. Any complaints about school employees should refer to school board Policy KL: Complaint Against School Employee.

Background:  The Character Education word of the month for March is "Cooperation," which involves help, assistance, support, teamwork, and working together. 

Background:  Congratulations to the debate team for their State Championship performance at the State Tournament at Brookings High School on March 7 and 8. Earlier this winter, the debate team won the Small Schools Sweepstakes award at the Hole in the Wall Regional Qualifier in Cheyenne, WY. Five students qualified for the National Tournament in Iowa later in June. The debate team is coached by Eric Johnson and assisted by Tamara Voight. 

Eric Johnson has been a major factor in the development and success of the debate team over the years. He has dedicated a great deal of time and energy to the program, which is evident by how the program has flourished. Coach Johnson is retiring from coaching debate at the end of this year and would like to recognize him for all his hard work over the years. It is truly fitting that he ends his coaching career with a State Championship performance. 

Background:  Congratulations to the Scooper Wrestling Team which won the State Duals, Regional 4A, and State Individual Titles. This is the second year in a row that they have accomplished this feat. Congratulations to individual CHAMPIONS - Tyler Baldwin and Kelson Dirk. 

In the first ever District 4 Girls Wrestling Tournament, the girls team qualified 4 wrestlers.

Background:  SBHS freshman student, Bella Willuweit will be recognized by Jean Helmer, with the SD State Poetry Society, for earning the honor's poetry award.

Background:  Business Manager, Brett Burditt is requesting authorization to purchase the 2025 Ford Transit Passenger Van from Nelson Auto Center in the amount of $64,523.00. This van is intended to replace the 2013 "old Scooper" van, which currently has approximately 125,000 miles on it.

Background:  Superintendent, Wayne Wormstadt, is recommending the Board increase the open enrollment cap by one per section per grade level due to the state funding increase being 1.25% and stagnant or decreasing enrollment. This would apply for one year. If the board takes no action next year, the open enrollment caps would go back to the original policy numbers.

Open enrollment caps in JECB are not class size restrictions but enrollment limits for when the district will close building grade levels to open enrollment.

Background:  Business Manager, Brett Burditt is requesting the Board to amend the general fund budget by $20,000.00 on the expenditure side and $20,000.00 on the revenue side for tuition services.

Background:  Superintendent, Wayne Wormstadt is requesting the Board to approve the agreement with Black Hills Area Community Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit corporation and charitable organization.

There has been an anonymous endowment created that will help fund meals for students.  The district will receive annual payments to apply to our angel fund to assist with student meals.  The attached document from Food Service Director, Rhonda Ramsdell explains how funds are distributed. Also attached is the Joint Press Release from BHACF. The Board will need to decide when they want BHACF to send the release.

Background:  A Special Board Meeting - Study Session & Work Retreat was previously scheduled for Monday, March 31, at 5:30 PM. Superintendent Wayne Wormstadt is asking whether the Board would prefer to combine the Study Session & Work Retreat with the Focus Group with Studer Education, scheduled for March 28 at 5:00 PM, and cancel the March 31 meeting, designating the March 28 session as a Special Board Meeting instead.

Background:  This is the second reading of the new School Board Policy CA: Administrative Goals.

Background:  This is the second reading of School Board Policy CBA: Qualifications and Duties of Superintendent. The policy has been revised to be more in line with ASBSD recommendations.

Background:  This is the second reading of School Board Policy CBB: Recruitment and Appointment of Superintendent.

Background:  This is the second reading of School Board Policy CBC: Superintendent Contract Compensation and Benefits.

Background:  This is the second reading of School Board Policy CBG: Superintendent Evaluation, Exhibit CBG-E(1) Goals Based Form and Exhibit CBG-E(2) Standards Based Form.

Background:  This is the second reading of School Board Policy CC: Administrative Organization Plan along with the organization chart.

Background:  This is the second reading of School Board Policy CCB: Lines of Authority and Staff Relations.

Background:  This is the second reading of School Board Policy CF: School Building Administration.

Background:  This is the second reading of School Board Policy CHD: Administration in Absence of Policy or Regulation

Background:  This is the second reading of School Board Policy CK: Program Consultants.

Background:  This is the Second Reading of School Board Policy CM: School District Annual Report

Background:  The third Monday of March is the time of year when local communities review with the Board of Equalization any contested property assessments.  The following board members represent the school district: Terry Koontz, Sturgis Board of Equalization; Aaron Odegaard, Piedmont Board of Equalization; Justin Jutting, Summerset Board of Equalization and Scottie Bruch, Whitewood Board of Equalization. The schedules follow:
City of Sturgis - 3/17 @ 5:00 pm @ City Hall
City of Summerset - 3/17 @ 6:00 pm @ City Hall
City of Piedmont - 3/17 @ 6:30 pm @ City Hall
City of Whitewood - 3/17 @ 5:15 pm @ City Hall

NOTE: Discuss Negotiations Committee Meeting that is currently scheduled on 3/17 at 4:00 pm.

Background:  Harlow's Transportation has provided the letter of intent explaining the changes.

Background:  All requests for Meade School District bus route changes for the 2025-26 school year must be submitted to the office of the superintendent by Tuesday, April 1. Requests that are received by the April 1 deadline will be submitted to the Board at its April board meeting. Those requests will then be referred to the transportation committee for review.

Action on the bus route change requests will be taken by the Board at the August board meeting. The following board members are on the Transportation Committee: Lee Spring, Sandy Cass, Aaron Odegaard and Justin Jutting. 

Background:  The district’s current contract with Loose Endz Custodial expires on June 30, 2025, with an option to extend for the 2025-26 school year. Business Manager, Brett Burditt, recommends the Board amend the contract to include day services and extend it for 2025-26.

Previously, the district amended the contract to provide day services for PVE through the end of May. Now, this service needs to be incorporated into the original contract before extending it. The Business Manager will collaborate with Loose Endz to determine the cost of day services over the 180 school days and present the proposed amount to the Board for consideration in April.

The current agreement includes a rate of $30 per hour for 8-hour daily service, applied to an estimated 170 school days in the FY26 calendar. This would add approximately $40,800.00 to the existing $102,751.92 contract, plus any FY26 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 1.015%.

Background:  The current custodial contract with Visible Difference terminates June 30, 2025. The Board has the ability to extend the contract for 2025-26. This is for day and evening services at SBMS. This item will be brought back in April for the Board to approve the extension.

Background:  Business Manager, Brett Burditt, is currently working on recommendations from EMC, the district's property insurance carrier, to conduct an electrical systems assessment of district facilities. Attached is a sample service contract with Skyline Engineering for some of our older facilities, which provides an example of the associated costs.

Background:  Business Manager, Brett Burditt, will provide an update on the FY26 capital outlay budget, including the FY26 capital outlay revenue budget and a three-year outlook on the impact of the $350,000.00 levy increase on revenue.  

Background:  The Chamber of Commerce is brainstorming a Fall Festival on September 20th, which coincides with Homecoming week. They are considering adding an all-school reunion that weekend. The reunion would include school facility tours and other activities around Sturgis, in addition to the Fall Festival, parade, and football game. The organizer is asking if this would be feasible and if it should be recommended or not. 

Background:  The Employee Recognition Committee consists of Scottie Bruch, Sandy Cass, Brian Voight and Justin Jutting. The committee will be scheduling upcoming meetings to discuss any issues or new ideas for organizing the Staff Banquet and Retirement Reception, which will take place at the end of this school year.

Background:  Studer Director and Leader Coach Dr. Gayle Juneau-Butler will be conducting small Focus Groups in person and zoom sessions for two schools.  The schedule is linked HERE.  Each Focus Group will last approximately 30 minutes.  We expect the vast majority of our staff to participate.  Board Focus Group is scheduled for March 28 at 5:00 pm.

A steering committee representing students, staff, parents and community members will help guide the process.  

Background:  Board reports are enclosed in the Board packet.

Background:  Legislative Update



 

Background:  March 17: Negotiations Committee Meeting 4:00 pm
March 17: Board of Equalization (see above in discussion)
March 20: No School (Teacher In-Service)
March 21: No School (Spring Break)
March 24: B&G Committee Meeting 3:30 pm
March 24: Policy Committee Meeting 5:00 pm
March 25: Deadline to Submit School Board Nominating Petitions
March 27: Insurance Committee Meeting 5:00 pm
March 28: Board Focus Group for Strategic Planning 5:00 pm
March 31: Finance Committee Meeting 3:30 pm
March 31: Special Board Meeting - Study Session & Work Retreat 5:30 pm (tentative)