By Carleen Wild
Moody County Enterprise
For years, the Flandreau Public School District has struggled to find residents willing to run for a seat on the school board. Often, incumbents would stay on simply because no one else would step forward.
This June 2, district voters will decide whether a smaller board might help.
A measure on the spring primary ballot will ask whether the Flandreau School District should reduce its board from seven members to five.
“We just can’t get people to volunteer to take these positions,” said School Board President Kari Burggraff. “We aren’t sure if this is going to help, but it makes sense.”
Burggraff noted that many districts of similar size operate with five members, and some larger districts do the same.
The idea was first raised by board member Cynthia Sheppard after multiple election cycles without contested races.
“In the last few years, we didn’t have people willing to even take out a petition,” Sheppard said.
“We’ve had to ask current board members to stay on an extra year because there were no takers.”
She said reducing the number of seats could make it easier to generate interest and, ideally, lead to actual elections.
“If you only have one or two seats open, maybe you get two or three people running,” she said. “That’s what you hope for.”
Currently, board members are elected at-large, meaning they do not represent specific geographic areas.
If approved, the change would likely happen gradually through attrition as terms expire — most likely this next year.
Sheppard acknowledged the change may not solve the issue entirely but said it could help.
“At least we’re not needing as many people,” she said.
“Right now, it’s just hard to get anyone to step up.”
This coming June, board member Tom Stenger does not plan to seek re-election. Katie Muller was the lone person to file a petition and will be automatically seated.
“I would just encourage people to step up and to try it,” said Sheppard.
“It’s a wonderful thing, and you learn a lot when you’re on the board — about your school system and what’s happening in your school. It can really be eye-opening. Anybody who pays taxes should care. Whether they have a child or not, they should care about what’s going on in their public schools.”
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