[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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],{"_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",6656712,"mediaKeyId","5118417-6df602d272a589f949751c32fb664766","parentId",5118417,"title","Rapid City Area Schools swears in two trustees and elects board officers; board keeps Rapid City Journal as official newspaper","audioSeconds",160,"startMs",5209000,"endMs",5369000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118417-6df602d272a589f949751c32fb664766&start=5209&end=5369","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118417-6df602d272a589f949751c32fb664766/thumbnail_5209000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6656712/South-Dakota/Rapid-City-Area-Schools-swears-in-two-trustees-and-elects-board-officers-board-keeps-Rapid-City-Journal-as-official-newspaper","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656712-762a044dc88c3721d2a76ff406dc1084/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176793&Signature=SFJufv3ee3bshWvBJLPgLOGbqQYW96~ELFLJV4E4PMNGdJENR1StWnHuI7E9Jtye5SIUzJL0-D~~6-ZXYLpeReuVYc6yeJ1SVcWtt-H494IdOG1MTWEjaIZDOghaw-o-kDedDYuzryLeDOlvdG5gxxCKtbzYpIC1Iq6yAwJ~E~h3eZ98~CAj4sFdcQk3FoNEOHUWamDT2JlWJPle7YIEl6WC6KH9ABljvhTxrAb5~RRPjpXyvKi-Pkqg9txCpp1c4LXYkzcJvtuyPQXs~KafmhaAAAc86TlhnNZlk7TiD3pnM61bNidBfRN-RYGzmm4eXSiV5CJC5q9~Izb3OpKw3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rapid City Area Schools","date","2025-07-02T08:08:53.267Z","article","The Rapid City Area School District Board of Education administered oaths of office to two elected trustees and elected its 2025-26 officers at the annual organizational meeting.

Angela Rafferty and Jamie Clapham were sworn in during an evening ceremony following a brief technical delay. \"Having been elected to the office of board member of Rapid City Area School District number 51-4 in Pennington County, do you solemnly swear...\" the oath recitation stated as each took the pledge.

After the swearing-in, the board elected its officers. Troy Carr was elected board president in a roll-call vote; Jamie Clapham was elected first vice president and Katie Urban was elected second vice president. President Carr thanked trustees who supported his nomination and said he was confident in the district's leadership team, specifically naming the superintendent, in-house attorney and the business manager as the positions the board supervises.

Trustees also designated the Rapid City Journal as the district's official newspaper. Trustees debated whether to add a Meade County paper (the Faith Independent in Faith, S.D.) after several members noted the district spans multiple counties and some constituents receive local county papers. Board members raised two recurring concerns: the statutory requirement to publish notices in a printed paper and the cost of newspaper publication, which one trustee said can approach tens of thousands of dollars for a district this size.

Board leaders said the district will explore alternatives and legislative options so that district notices can reach voters and residents effectively while balancing statutory requirements and costs. For now, the Rapid City Journal remains the official newspaper.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","July 1, 2025 Board of Education Annual Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At its annual organizational meeting the board administered oaths to two newly elected members, elected officers for 2025-26 and designated the Rapid City Journal as the district's official newspaper after debate about including a Meade County publication.","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},6656717,"Board rejects request to postpone annual meeting items pending recount, goes into executive session for legal counsel",463,580000,1043000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118417-6df602d272a589f949751c32fb664766&start=580&end=1043","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118417-6df602d272a589f949751c32fb664766/thumbnail_580000.jpg","/articles/6656717/South-Dakota/Board-rejects-request-to-postpone-annual-meeting-items-pending-recount-goes-into-executive-session-for-legal-counsel","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656717-e1d5f90f5c693e0fcf9668b360f58324/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176793&Signature=fpOXgFNVPJv2ELvnp1XmMF5QIc6gJeIMoUlV-61-IR3p2K-zIMoRIS~ODMS7p67GxTs~fnHqg1H~iA780z0GcxlhZY~RWvDhtIsCoJS3yTs9zHZ2uGl~UCnNVm3w84gu~JfonYvAQemISFj89tIE3LWZFE-16YP~jmX0Wxl76F4VXuuIVbCiXDm5C3GrUtu-L73JXhvOTfh-FrrFUt78hR5FWs-bZCz3XcjFOkCgh42ljfzTSoZ0vmh6obOb3BWOBP-jZJuAGHnrt-1GbScuqoUfkRv5Rfz8iJPlRk1vKVoht7dCaYqeyxxasn-pyi6ZCo7ojBstYt3pz8P2Gs0dYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Trustees considered and rejected a motion to amend the agenda and defer items 17, 18 and 19 until after an Area 6 election recount, then voted to enter an executive session to consult the board's attorney.

A board member moved to postpone the three items, saying it would be \"prudent to defer\" actions until the recount was complete and noting that some earlier decisions had been made with only four members present. The motion prompted a lengthy discussion among trustees about legal precedent, fairness to other elected members and the practical consequences of delaying swearing-in for other seats.

Board President Troy Carr explained that legal counsel was available by remote connection and that advice from the attorney required a closed executive session under state law. The board voted to enter executive session to hear that legal advice. The board later reconvened in public and took up the agenda.

After more discussion, a formal motion to amend the agenda to defer the specified items failed. The board then proceeded with the scheduled annual meeting business. In public remarks after the executive session, President Carr urged members of the public to bring concerns and suggested remedies directly to trustees rather than only posting complaints publicly.

The board did not adopt any policy change delaying the annual meeting; the contested agenda items were considered later in the meeting as scheduled.","Trustees debated deferring several annual-meeting agenda items until an election recount is completed. The motion to defer failed and the board later entered executive session to consult legal counsel about election and procedural questions.",{"_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},6656722,"Rapid City Area Schools board adopts 2026 budget, separates federal programs into new funds",928,2516000,3444000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118417-6df602d272a589f949751c32fb664766&start=2516&end=3444","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118417-6df602d272a589f949751c32fb664766/thumbnail_2516000.jpg","/articles/6656722/South-Dakota/Rapid-City-Area-Schools-board-adopts-2026-budget-separates-federal-programs-into-new-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656722-31231af18594d7fd85ff3f38d5076000/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176793&Signature=TihRhO3k8x~Hvi6MLvWuVaEVD3lRFCdlYMaravpTZitP45WAL2VSWSCNaVyR7w3xbY5mufzorsM7MbcD09T8~0xdcTmzLLfesp6mPgdqJhINnFo4P0N0XlEIE5qEpVPbHiiG3b7Mwkosb5m9c3q8Zee3466wYSijeAHUzdfbkKc8FsC4cArNAQTRhTHrdMGjB30t7PNsCEHnae-3X4x6YG3Uah8YBp1QBk5pj3JkzoUItxxM-r9bkCqgqpqws6UzgyyRcFdX~Uii2FRmXZDX9g4ADpED8Fu3dCWmYO-0kiK3NP6duCwW845Utsa4V1dtqeueLjkFBJaYKrHusqaBQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Rapid City Area School District Board of Education voted to approve the district's fiscal year 2026 budget at its annual meeting following a public hearing and discussion of staffing, special-education spending and capital needs.

Business Manager Mr. Sasse said the district's strategy for the budget was to \"continue to meaningfully increase employee compensation,\" reduce other areas to offset that increase, and to take \"a more aggressive and intentional approach to capital outlay budgeting\" so more resources flow into facilities.

Board members said the board had reviewed the preliminary budget and the final plan before voting. During the discussion the board and staff emphasized three elements: separating federal grants and programs into dedicated funds rather than including them in the general fund or special-education fund; directing more capital outlay dollars toward facilities work; and pursuing pay increases to address recruitment and retention.

Mr. Sasse explained the accounting change will make structural analysis easier by moving federal programs into their own funds. That shift makes the general fund appear smaller from preliminary to final, he said, but the district's grand total budget remained unchanged between the preliminary and final presentations.

The board also discussed special-education spending. A board member asked whether underspending in the special-education fund over recent years was driven by staffing shortages; Mr. Sasse replied, \"That's absolutely accurate.\" He said the district has intentionally planned a spend-down of reserves in that fund and that the success of the plan will depend largely on hiring.

Budget documents presented to the board showed the general fund with a modest shortfall projection of roughly 2.8 percent; Mr. Sasse and several board members said historical spending trends (mid-90s percentage of budget) make an actual deficit less likely. Trustees also discussed the Rapid Valley Elementary expansion, which staff estimated in presentations at about $14,000,000; the board said the project would be added to the capital budget once designs and more detailed estimates are complete.

After discussion, the board approved the fiscal year 2026 budget, then took separate votes to approve publication of budget changes and to file the tax-levy request required under state law.

Votes at the meeting on budget-related motions were taken by voice or roll call as indicated in the minutes. The board approved the FY26 budget and related publication and tax-levy motions during the same meeting.

The district will monitor enrollment closely during the year, Mr. Sasse said, because changes in student counts remain the single biggest variable affecting revenue and long-term budget outcomes.","The Rapid City Area School District board approved its fiscal year 2026 budget after a public hearing, emphasizing staff compensation increases, a new approach to federal program accounting and a planned capital push including an estimated $14 million Rapid Valley Elementary expansion.","actionData","errors"]

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Rapid City Area Schools swears in two trustees and elects board officers; board keeps Rapid City Journal as official newspaper

Board rejects request to postpone annual meeting items pending recount, goes into executive session for legal counsel

Rapid City Area Schools board adopts 2026 budget, separates federal programs into new funds