Aberdeen School Board completes annual organizational meeting, appoints officers and approves routine business

The Aberdeen School Board met in annual session July 14, 2025, in Aberdeen and completed its organizational business, electing officers, setting the regular meeting schedule and approving routine administrative appointments and financial authorizations.

The newly constituted board unanimously elected Aaron Schultz as president and Brian Sharp as vice president by unanimous ballot. The board set its regular 2025–26 meeting schedule for the second and fourth Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m., with meetings that fall on Monday holidays to be held the following Tuesday.

The meeting's nut graf: the board used the annual meeting to place routine authorities and administrative responsibilities for the coming school year. Those appointments and authorizations include the designation of official depositories, authorization of electronic transfers and countersignature policies, adoption of board policies and handbooks, appointment of legal counsel and various compliance and program officers required by state and federal rules. These actions are administrative and were approved largely by voice or roll-call votes as part of the annual organizational agenda.

Most motions drew little debate. The superintendent recommended, and the board approved, appointing Miss Kayla Rogers as finance director to serve additionally as board clerk, custodian of district funds and investment officer; the board also appointed Rogers custodian of the district’s trust and agency accounts and authorized her to act as the district’s official representative for federal funds. The board designated US Bank and Dakota Bank of Aberdeen as official depositories for district funds; that motion was taken by roll call and passed with one abstention by Kevin Burkhart. The board also authorized the finance director to make electronic transfers for payroll and benefits and to make debt service payments, and it authorized the board president and vice president to countersign checks drawn on district accounts.

Other business approved included the district’s participation in the South Dakota Public Funds Investment Trust (a joint powers trust for investing public funds), authorization to obtain crime-insurance coverage up to $150,000 in lieu of a separate bond for the finance director, and appointment of Rory King as the district’s attorney for the 2025–26 school year. The board designated the Aberdeen Insider as the official newspaper for required legal notices.

The board adopted the online policy manual and all building, faculty and student handbooks for the 2025–26 school year and held the public hearing required by the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) to confirm the district’s compliance with E-rate requirements for discounted telecommunications and Internet services. The board authorized membership payments to the Associated School Boards of South Dakota and confirmed committee assignments (site and planning; equalization; negotiations; wellness; improvement; calendar; communications) as listed in the packet.

The board also made multiple administrative appointments required by federal or state law: designation of the superintendent’s designee as truancy officer and public records officer for 2025–26; appointment of a Title IX officer and a home liaison (Camille [last name not specified in transcript] as recommended); designation of the HR director as the HIPAA privacy officer and age-discrimination compliance officer; appointment of Nicole Olsen as Section 504 compliance officer; and appointment of Ben Schnell as ADA and asbestos compliance officer. The board approved publishing the asbestos-notification statement and noted a management plan is available for public inspection as required by regulation.

Routine financial authorizations included limited prepayment of vouchers and reimbursements (subject to a $1,000 limit for certain reimbursements) and authority to make monthly credit-card payments to Dakota Bank not to exceed $75,000. The board set school board member pay at $75 for regular and special board meetings and authorized the administration to publish employee salaries as required by state law.

The board reviewed South Dakota open-meeting laws (SDCL 1-25) and approved a conflicts-of-interest disclosure roll call; that vote was recorded by roll call and carried. The board then reconvened into the regular July 14 meeting and approved a consent agenda.

Separately, the board considered interdistrict bus stop requests from several neighboring districts (Frederick, Groton, Northwestern, Warner). After brief comment the board approved each request by voice vote.

The board approved an administrative-rule waiver requested for Brandy Flajoie to teach astronomy at the high school while she pursues the appropriate endorsement. The superintendent said the waiver request was for a three-year period to allow time to obtain the endorsement; during discussion a board member and staff indicated the expectation is that the endorsement would be achieved within one year and that the district would pursue other arrangements if she does not obtain the endorsement in that time. The board approved the waiver motion.

Ending: The meeting concluded with no further business and the board adjourned following a motion and second.