[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6595928,"mediaKeyId","3020530-8b8411cf266531f0e93fedb23bd5d846","parentId",3020530,"title","Parent-caregiver survey shows modest improvements in district communication and school climate, district says","audioSeconds",562,"startMs",4268000,"endMs",4830000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3020530-8b8411cf266531f0e93fedb23bd5d846&start=4268&end=4830","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3020530-8b8411cf266531f0e93fedb23bd5d846/thumbnail_4268000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6595928/South-Dakota/Parent-caregiver-survey-shows-modest-improvements-in-district-communication-and-school-climate-district-says","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595928-6acda2a2425895f625c8e1586cd56f64/orig.mp4?Expires=1771081307&Signature=QSIGvGQTx04bPE7a3dD0NGtHOykW8RiSgw3gSXPqGngvu41rOGMj6pM~m9dVUz5nwt6Ly9rCOkUWdlzzQRlpSyBu1o38Ad4BDwsstSY63DGL8f0EqhoP4NB7SqccyH-NXQgzGRrMX8f0kyZIGn6wKVqjEJ0USxv8tN6~2EtvwBuwNWTkn6iL0pf76vrpuOGgJVpM8nMhrseMkZnD2DTziercFv3NFnywOvD6zkS9FyrSOpot4of0DXr~7HmguciyNsNByfFrIPwgcxEpKT7SHP6y2jPZmBH3WLwkcSEZ8aXtWbFwMMPSCEpUUzKyjsoBfklpUc8oeHAWihLKxWAehg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rapid City Area Schools","date","2025-04-16T07:21:25.35Z","article","The Rapid City Area School District presented results from its parent-caregiver experience survey and reported modest positive movement across multiple questions, district staff said.

Acting Superintendent Dr. Strasser told the board the survey tracks responses to 15 questions using a 1-to-5 scale; the district reported increases in mean scores and in the top-two-box (4 and 5) percentages. Dr. Strasser said the district's net promoter score improved as promoters increased and detractors decreased year over year.

On individual questions, the largest mean increase was for the item \"I regularly receive feedback from school staff on how well my child is learning,\" which rose by 0.18 points. Another notable improvement addressed consistent enforcement of school rules at individual schools, a change board members tied to updated behavior policies and clearer communication from leaders.

Board members asked about survey response rates and variability across schools. Dr. Strasser said the survey is open to all parents and community members by link and noted that participation was down compared with previous cycles; she emphasized that school-level reports are distributed to building leadership for local rollout and follow-up.

Ending: District leaders said they will continue to use survey data to inform school- and district-level action plans and asked the community to participate in future surveys to improve representativeness.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","April 15, 2025 Board of Education Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The district's parent-caregiver survey showed incremental year-over-year gains in mean scores and promoter (top-box) responses. District leaders said the results indicate movement toward higher family trust and consistent school rules enforcement, and encouraged more survey participation.","taxTitle","Rapid City Area School District 51-4, School Districts, South Dakota","taxId",12939,"location","South Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6595931,"Stevens High speech and debate team honored; 11 students qualified for national tournament",462,368000,830000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3020530-8b8411cf266531f0e93fedb23bd5d846&start=368&end=830","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3020530-8b8411cf266531f0e93fedb23bd5d846/thumbnail_368000.jpg","/articles/6595931/South-Dakota/Stevens-High-speech-and-debate-team-honored-11-students-qualified-for-national-tournament","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595931-fb3964e4c53fffa01a15f2d9956218e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771036676&Signature=kFTpNgBT7dhwLn1AdVahiaY2Ooezue08ZaVc4pCNVFd1qeNrPRfZtE5K8sjgafkKqXjpLlz1EUvTDSbdHoAnZI1-Zy5IDIFd78hc53YMlMkmRJ11quLGkJ2Jm3OO-Rm4~7-IqiKdD5Ue-apD1ERiGEYupuAM1A7EQ-fp-7u-3y0b5Xi427RBOiAjq-EPEBtRGsH2xGVmscTrC2--yflT0YtvmNe3i9GbNRxO8FjBDlDxeEO68NXvlHDh1ivMQDG2iiqAWlMmLm2ksIXOA72h5QYPx5CIzTRDrA2HI5MP1j1zq~42esbWcuP9N~4PRqvEw7g-kxTmlKU23Xl9Spk3aA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Rapid City Area Schools Board of Education recognized the Stevens High School speech and debate team during the meeting's \"Sharing the Success\" segment.

Ryan Harris, head coach, introduced coaches and the students and listed individual accomplishments, saying the team attended 14 tournaments and hosted its own tournament for the first time in three years. He announced that 11 students will represent Stevens and the state at the National Speech & Debate Association national tournament in Des Moines in June.

Harris named seniors and other team members and highlighted college acceptances for several students: Olivia Berger (Yale), Blixer Broussard (Harvard), Joanna Matui (University of Michigan), and Dylan Tipton (Columbia). Board members praised the team and emphasized debate skills as lifelong assets. \"It's a huge life skill,\" Board Member Jamie Clapham said. \"We are extremely proud of you and congratulations.\"

Ending: Board members thanked coaches and families and posed for photos with the team; no board action was required.","The Rapid City Area Schools board recognized the Stevens High School speech and debate team, noting that 11 members qualified for the National Speech & Debate Association tournament and several seniors were accepted to Ivy League and other universities.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6595936,"Children's Home Society opens Lincoln Building program for K–3 students; 11 enrolled so far",87,3028000,3115000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3020530-8b8411cf266531f0e93fedb23bd5d846&start=3028&end=3115","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3020530-8b8411cf266531f0e93fedb23bd5d846/thumbnail_3028000.jpg","/articles/6595936/South-Dakota/Childrens-Home-Society-opens-Lincoln-Building-program-for-K3-students-11-enrolled-so-far","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595936-8f5b83203794978b09d5dd4881d64302/orig.mp4?Expires=1771081307&Signature=beAD3BUIv8DxjQsMrUpUD43CsD0jF2YD8C9uh6E28MU6Wum980rGt2FBiZm4UA3LKGncXSphyZyBGjkxscu8dKXlvs8fZVZ~5mTLe8u~6EQbCC2Iqky3bbZyt7UkaFMW5NK219UxQyNgNAAujv7hAIbMFJ4I7NU23SVUAA6035swZFsYM5nGc2B-IS5kY612XJloohKjPd~ijRpO6iaQvB9oWuXZcwetFPmI0L3AOOGRu~lWHCdqOBo2iDF3mD5iQD1fb1e6t1gIOcnfdWAlElvHqkm3MGdF8iyi~4U-j~Nnmk5eOTUNv3XQ7PhViSGpmplOTLWzOcOaDA6EmwpuRg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Children's Home Society (CHS) presented an update to the Rapid City Area School District board on a newly launched school program at the Lincoln Building intended to serve K–3 students who need specialized supports.

Mike Grower, director of school programming for CHS, told the board the program began in March with four students and by April 7 had 11 students enrolled. CHS said it expects to enroll additional students and is targeting about 15 students by the end of the coming week, with an eventual capacity goal of up to 24 in this initial phase.

Grower described the program as an alternative classroom environment with a 1-to-4 staff-to-student ratio, daily collaboration with district staff, and therapeutic services provided by CHS. “Each student at the Lincoln Building has been partnered with a therapist from CHS's outpatient therapy clinic,” he said, adding that CHS has hired two classroom teachers and three paraprofessional staff and shares specialty staff (art, music/therapy, physical education, behavior specialists) with its Black Hills campus.

Board members asked about referral and transition processes. Grower said referrals have been driven by elementary principals and family relationships, and that the program will use structured debriefs and 30-day and quarterly stakeholder meetings to plan transitions back to district schools when appropriate. He said time in the program varies case-by-case; based on CHS experience elsewhere, “it's approximately 18 months of time” for many students but depends on age and family engagement.

Ending: Board members expressed support for the collaborative program and thanked CHS staff and district employees involved in the early rollout. CHS said it will return with further updates as enrollment and services expand.","Children's Home Society (CHS) told the board it has opened an alternative K–3 classroom at the Lincoln Building serving children who need extra social, emotional and academic supports. CHS reported 11 students enrolled and staffing in place, and said enrollment should grow toward the program's 15–24 student target.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6595941,"Board approves negotiated agreements that boost starting pay, staff wages; district expects a multiyear deficit",1380,1391000,2771000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3020530-8b8411cf266531f0e93fedb23bd5d846&start=1391&end=2771","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3020530-8b8411cf266531f0e93fedb23bd5d846/thumbnail_1391000.jpg","/articles/6595941/South-Dakota/Board-approves-negotiated-agreements-that-boost-starting-pay-staff-wages-district-expects-a-multiyear-deficit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595941-0ffb35af05f55a245d3cba508c7db4e3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771081307&Signature=cA8WxEvdihKiXKXp4v-G~NRGyMfiStARc2BIhCeUoqEAyTri~bBfeJ4vlh8vDtzCAenuFI85a-WP-qTikF1M99vEmf33ftqn8WjjUjjD5eAmapqGWgGwcO2TuyPNORMLeuw96znhAz9VYckmXQmPvbmtm~baPN4ol7KCK48SlvJT25W6zjmE~-XnTchrXYP1QmyEZk1ZhgedWqjz972UzMtt6zRfNt28fz7nNTe7KtRgyJP4f9pq8NG2Yivbq57p0NVDjdRnBDkc7H~y6mkV6-wlPex0Z-VqRUbQX7k1w8m~O-7iVIv~m56XQZP5fcPaFw48qKCsgp2N-kz-g8DTdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Rapid City Area School District Board of Education on Thursday approved a package of negotiated agreements that raise starting wages and increase pay for current employees, board staff said.

The agreements include differentiated allocations by employee group: classified staff and administrative/technical staff received a baseline 3% increase, generally funded teachers saw placement-grid increases tied to the state aid formula while special education–funded teachers received a flat $5,000 increase, and special education paraeducators received larger increases than general-education paras. The district also raised bus-driver starting wages to roughly $20 and $20.55 per hour for assigned and unassigned drivers, respectively.

Why it matters: District negotiators and board members framed the package as a targeted effort to recruit and retain staff in a tight labor market. Quay Sasse, a district staff member who led the negotiations presentation to the board, said, “Everybody received a raise,” and added that “about $4,000,000, will be now in the pockets of our current employees as we move into next year.” He also told the board that “early estimates are this would land somewhere in the $3,000,000 range in terms of the deficit.”

What the agreements do: Sasse told the board that allotments going into negotiations were differentiated because the general fund and the special education fund are in “literal polar opposite positions.” He described the teacher-side approach as a mix of percentage and flat-dollar adjustments: generally funded placement grids rose by 1.25% while special-education-funded teacher wages were increased by a flat $5,000. Paraeducators funded through special education received a 9% allocation; generally funded paras received 3%.

Sasse said the district increased signing bonuses for special-education and other hard-to-fill positions, adjusted extracurricular stipends and placement grids, and addressed pay compressions for intra-group transfers. He described the negotiating approach as “interest based bargaining,” emphasizing transparent “allotments” so all parties knew the total resources available before detailed discussions.

Board discussion and budget impact: Board members repeatedly emphasized recruitment and retention as top priorities. Acting Superintendent Dr. Strasser said the board has chosen to “strategically and responsibly enter a deficit to continue to meaningfully increase compensation.” The district’s finance presentation projected that, given the package and other estimated cost pressures (including insurance), average teacher compensation could rise roughly into the low $80,000s in the coming fiscal year depending on final calculations.

Votes at a glance: The board approved a set of proposed agreements and related items during the meeting. A roll-call vote on teacher contracts linked to the ECHO item recorded five yes votes and one abstention (names of five yes votes were recorded; the transcript recorded the overall tally but did not specify the member who abstained). Other routine approvals (policy/procedures/exhibits and the consent agenda) passed by voice vote.

What the board will do next: District staff and board members said they will continue budget work over the next two months as preliminary and final budgets are prepared, discussing multi-year projections and strategies to manage the estimated deficit. Sasse said the district has other funds in healthy condition and that the board has agreed compensation is a top priority despite the budget stress.

Ending: Board members marked the negotiations cycle as labor-intensive and thanked staff and union representatives for collaborative work. The board’s finance committee and staff will bring more detailed budget scenarios to forthcoming meetings as the district finalizes insurance rates and other inputs.","The Rapid City Area School District board approved negotiated agreements that raise starting wages and increase pay for current employees. District staff said about $4 million in additional compensation will be paid next year and that the general fund will likely run a roughly $3 million deficit as a result.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Parent-caregiver survey shows modest improvements in district communication and school climate, district says

Stevens High speech and debate team honored; 11 students qualified for national tournament

Children's Home Society opens Lincoln Building program for K–3 students; 11 enrolled so far

Board approves negotiated agreements that boost starting pay, staff wages; district expects a multiyear deficit