[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6479827,"mediaKeyId","5692083-350fe2db895c247e28c8e87f419aee1b","parentId",5692083,"title","Parents tell Rapid City school board a 1.3-mile bus stop and 6:30 a.m. pickup pose safety risks","audioSeconds",615,"startMs",1154000,"endMs",1769000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692083-350fe2db895c247e28c8e87f419aee1b&start=1154&end=1769","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692083-350fe2db895c247e28c8e87f419aee1b/thumbnail_1154000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6479827/South-Dakota/Parents-tell-Rapid-City-school-board-a-13-mile-bus-stop-and-630-am-pickup-pose-safety-risks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479827-b01157e826821f21a653532696b6ddef/orig.mp4?Expires=1773529247&Signature=b6N2-ljiJvywYp91Xa80JKdPN8gNrz6N0zLm2yVNSZf7iuRLVa0uudMuSGADmBtMJmcQRCt~HOg5JE3jOoucuT0YKIO0bmgGKfoAIV-5iLbLMg8WmggPTtW2-VecT4UAOJv4zQCLOhClmzNkLkkqg0nlP7HeKuoamqq7eLkU2qNPLyKeyBSNSt1PqqjLwfMuEy8TTP8Ad8ba1LDPJ4PdxybvurBh60CXe~KrIre1CMihV1UwxKm-VEGv2Um7xN0pg0Q8vMawdasED~V5zsgLnGHaZUuVZBE-ZwNnhcoPbTwrCwdfxyphlidPHkUk9a-E9nurSj1F4ZEzOG8NczJUvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rapid City Area Schools","date","2025-08-27T12:54:57Z","article","At the start of a Rapid City Area School District 51-4 study session public comment period, two residents urged the board to move an assigned bus stop they said forces their child to walk about 1.3 miles in pre-dawn darkness and on winding roads.

Aaron Liddebo told the board his child’s assigned pickup would require the child to wait at 6:30 a.m. and walk roughly 1.3 miles, a trek he estimated at about 28 minutes. “I don't care about dollars and cents. I care about the safety of my child,” Liddebo said, and he proposed smaller 15-passenger vans or recruiting existing staff to drive shorter routes to reduce long walks.

William Wagner also called for more community engagement and criticized the board’s pace on facility and routing issues. Wagner asked for town-hall meetings so more parents could participate and pushed the board to prioritize safety and working conditions for teachers alongside facility repairs.

Board members responded during a scheduled board-response portion of the meeting. President Troy Carr and trustees emphasized the district’s ongoing outreach. Carr said the board often “flies at 30,000 feet,” describing the board’s role in setting policy while staff handle operational details. Trustee Katie Urban said the district has held multiple public meetings on buses and facilities. “We had over 6 public meetings last year,” Urban said, and she noted those sessions informed the facilities study and route work. Trustee Christine Stephenson said district policy generally does not provide bus service for students who live within 2.5 miles of their school unless they must cross a major thoroughfare.

District staff were cited as having been directed previously to prioritize consistent routes; trustee speakers said that directive was given to district routing staff and acknowledged no situation is perfect. Liddebo asked for a meeting with staff so his family could pursue possible routing or stop changes; the board said it would continue outreach and encouraged residents to use meetings and the district’s communications channels.

Clarifying details from the speakers: Liddebo characterized the walk as about 28 minutes and 1.3 miles each way and said the child’s afternoon arrival time under the current schedule is 4:12 p.m. (as stated in public comment). Stephenson said the district’s practice is not to bus within 2.5 miles unless a major thoroughfare crossing is involved. Board members urged continued dialogue and noted committees already working on buses, air conditioning and facility improvements.

The district did not take formal action on routing at the meeting; board members said staff will continue to work on operational responses and community outreach. Commenters and trustees suggested holding additional public forums to capture broader parent input.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 26, 2025 Board of Education Study Session","oneSentenceSummary","Two parents and other commenters urged the Rapid City Area School District 51-4 board to change a bus stop that requires a child to walk about 1.3 miles, citing early morning darkness and winding roads; board members said the district has held multiple community meetings and is working on routing but acknowledged the concern.","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},6479832,"Survey projects 58% support for $125 million Rapid City Area Schools bond; board urged to consider scope changes",1276,2203000,3479000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5692083-350fe2db895c247e28c8e87f419aee1b&start=2203&end=3479","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5692083-350fe2db895c247e28c8e87f419aee1b/thumbnail_2203000.jpg","/articles/6479832/South-Dakota/Survey-projects-58-support-for-125-million-Rapid-City-Area-Schools-bond-board-urged-to-consider-scope-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6479832-b864b39b695d5192763f3fa67fdeb67e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773529247&Signature=DPivOpHhWz80dgPAo2hdkmB6HD88YsAESF3LVcoCHxGIbnPJraiWh1whVgMHSn8sA2QREZpoBKlWvPSCuDi7zaQ8hHK3RSTV1LSNAJJ-AaPW7mCF9bi~AjxmMIAIilQ7jK6RG2yvtpvN3JnP5UzO92xXAbMxEf1TX8ycVGwZWCa~Mrwt0NZSxhedulDFcCw-4iy9aTeC0OYTTtZTW8WSH~kZ2RjpNmDkJQ-fCydFrEH66Nif0xZCJdRSRwFtXk26IPSsjkzV2~~cBgOUdhD~nEPMVMp9473w4aAWXkifSUBO4J-2xY-rnkCvyQuhQWFUjNpIaogGftI2XNl~kXnKkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a Rapid City Area School District 51-4 study session, consultant Darren Sievers of School Perceptions presented results of a facilities survey that projects 58% voter support for a proposed $125,000,000 bond referendum, with a reported margin of error of plus or minus 1.35 percentage points. The figure falls short of the 60% plus one-vote supermajority required for school bond approval in South Dakota.

The survey result matters because the bond under consideration would fund district-wide needs identified in the facilities master plan — including HVAC upgrades, security and overcrowding remedies, and proposed improvements at Stevens High School. Sievers said the firm received 5,523 returned surveys from 45,505 mailed and that those responses produced a weighted projection of 58% support. “There is enough weighted support, 58%, for the proposed bond or referendum to take it to the ballot and let voters decide,” Sievers said during the presentation.

School Perceptions described its methodology and respondent mix during the presentation. The firm reported a 12.1% response rate overall, noted that staff responses made up an elevated share of returns and that it would weight results to reflect voter demographics. Sievers reported subgroup results showing about 80% of staff, 72% of parents and 52% of non-parents/non-staff respondents saying they would “definitely” or “probably” vote yes on the $125 million plan. After weighting, the projected overall voter support was 58% (+/−1.35%).

The consultant also summarized reasons cited by respondents who said they would not support the package. The top reason was the tax impact, followed by the overall cost of the plan. Sievers said Stevens High School improvements and the potential closing of Robbinsdale were among the specific elements that respondents named as reasons for opposition. “The Stevens High School improvements were the third most frequent reason cited,” he said. He and district staff recommended the board consider whether scope adjustments — pausing or phasing some elements — could reduce the tax impact and raise passage probability.

Board members asked technical and strategic questions about the margin of error, conversion rates from “probably yes” to actual yes votes, and the role of a campaign. Jamie Clapham asked whether the margin of error tends to favor yes or no; Sievers replied, “I would say 50 50 is a really safe bet,” and cautioned not to count on the margin falling entirely in the district’s favor. Trustee Katie Urban asked how a strong campaign might move support; Sievers cited past project examples in which focused campaigns swung results substantially, and he said the firm’s predictive accuracy historically is about 94% when comparing its projection to final outcomes.

District staff and board members emphasized the presentation was one step in an ongoing process. Coy Sasse, district administration staff who coordinated the survey work with the consultant and Coop Architects, and board leadership said they will review the data and consider options. President Troy Carr said the presentation represented “a culmination of 2 years, 2 and a half years, to get to this point,” and urged deliberation before decisions.

Next steps identified in the meeting included continued data entry of late-returned paper surveys, a follow-up refreshed report in the weeks after Labor Day, and discussion of options at a planned board retreat in early September. Sievers also offered to provide the district a recorded version of the presentation for public distribution and to continue refining the disaggregated data. Board members and staff discussed the possibility of trimming scope (for example, delaying some Stevens High School elements) to lower tax impact and re-surveying or re-framing a smaller proposal if the board chooses.

Context: School Perceptions told the board it aims to give the district comprehensive community feedback rather than a random sample and that, in other districts, trimming scope has sometimes converted initial reluctance into majority support. The firm repeatedly emphasized the tax-impact concern and recommended further deliberation on scope and communications strategy before formally placing any bond question on the ballot.","School Perceptions reported a 58% projected voter approval for a $125 million bond at a district study session, short of South Dakota's 60% supermajority requirement; board members and consultants flagged tax impact and Stevens High School work as key drivers of resistance.","actionData","errors"]

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Parents tell Rapid City school board a 1.3-mile bus stop and 6:30 a.m. pickup pose safety risks

Survey projects 58% support for $125 million Rapid City Area Schools bond; board urged to consider scope changes