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Parents tell board enrollment is falling; trustees say causes are complex
Summary
Speakers at public comment blamed declining enrollment on 'woke' messaging and policy, while teachers and multiple trustees said the causes are more complex and urged data-driven responses; the board discussed setting an enrollment-growth goal.
At the Rapid City Area School District 51-4 meeting, Florence Thompson, who introduced herself as president of South Dakota Parents Involved in Education and a retired school psychologist, urged the board to curb what she called 'woke' programming and criticized diversity, equity and inclusion approaches as driving families away from public schools.
'Does anyone remember the notorious Budweiser Bud Light commercials?' Thompson said, later adding the slogan: 'Go woke and go broke.' She urged the board to hire a superintendent who is 'common sense, middle of the road, who's focused on education and nothing else.'
Teacher Sarah Gross, speaking during public comment, framed the discussion differently: she praised teachers, urged accountability for public dollars and warned that education savings accounts could harm rural districts.
'Public dollars should go to public schools where you can come to this meeting, and you can look at the budget, and you can ask questions,' Gross said, stressing transparency and accountability.
Board members responded in public comments with repeated reminders that enrollment trends are multifaceted. Board member Christine Stephenson warned against a simplistic explanation and said COVID and other factors have contributed to declining enrollment: 'I think it's a mistake to think that it's just a pretty black and white issue.' Other trustees echoed appreciation for teachers and said the board must 'tell our story' and study root causes.
The finance committee said enrollment is the primary driver of state aid and indicated trustees were considering a board goal to increase enrollment; the board did not adopt a specific target at the meeting but signaled the topic will return as a prioritized item.
What to watch: Trustees asked staff to craft an enrollment goal and to bring follow-up information on where students are leaving the district and why. The board emphasized data collection and communication rather than immediate policy changes.
