Aberdeen School District 06-1 board installs Brian Sharp as president, approves organizational appointments and first-policy readings

Brian Sharp was elected president of the Aberdeen School District 06-1 board and Brad Olsen was elected vice president during the board’s annual meeting on July 13, 2026.

The board recessed to its annual meeting to administer the oath of office to three newly elected members — Elliot Gall, Aaron Schultz and Brian Sharp — after which members nominated and unanimously cast a ballot electing Sharp president and Olsen vice president.

The organizational session included a set of routine administrative approvals. The board appointed the district’s finance director to serve as school board clerk and custodian of district funds and approved establishing trust and agency accounts with the finance director named custodian. The board designated US Bank and Dakota Bank of Brown County as depositories for district funds and authorized the finance director to make electronic transfers for payroll and payroll benefits. The board also authorized the vice president to countersign checks assigned by the finance director.

Board members approved purchasing crime insurance coverage of $150,000 on employees in lieu of a separate bond for the finance director; one member asked whether $150,000 would be sufficient, and another responded that it would exceed any cash usually on hand. The district’s finance director was also authorized to act as the district’s official representative on federal applications.

Administrators recommended, and the board approved, the Aberdeen Insider as the district’s official newspaper for legal notices. The board set regular board meetings for the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 5:30 p.m., moving to the following Tuesday when a meeting falls on a holiday.

Transportation requests from neighboring districts drew brief discussion before approval. The board considered four annual bus pickup requests — from Frederick (pickup at First Assembly of God Church), Bath, Northwestern (pickup at Hub City Radio) and Warner (pickup at the Hub City Livestock Auction Barn). One board member said parents rather than district funds should provide transportation, arguing “the appropriate place to pick them up would be at their community,” and that the state law requiring the board to consider such requests is “a stupid state law.” Despite those objections the board approved each request as required by statute.

The board approved a series of compliance and operational appointments, including naming Mikaela Solom as finance director/custodian for the newly established accounts; Dr. Becky Guffin as public records officer and the designated truancy officer; Suzanne Bain as HIPAA privacy and discrimination compliance officer; Camille Call as Title IX officer and homeless liaison; and Jared Uhlberg for ADA and asbestos compliance. During discussion the board noted asbestos work would be handled using a hired consultant.

Financial housekeeping items included approving prepayment of reimbursements up to $1,000 and setting a credit card purchases limit not to exceed $75,000, and setting board member pay at $75 for regular and special meetings. The board also approved required asbestos notifications and confirmed an updated asbestos management plan and annual inspections will be on file.

On policy, the board approved the first reading of a revised copyright policy (policy E G A D-R) that aligns district practice with copyright law and adds guidance about the use of artificial intelligence in school work and district materials, and includes language to address streaming public performances. A district presenter noted the AI provisions are new and the district will seek input from other administrators. The board also approved the first reading of student absence and excuse policy (JH and JH-R) to streamline notices and update references to state law; administrators said the revisions reduce prescriptive day-count thresholds and refocus communication on true attendance concerns.

The board reviewed open-meetings guidance provided by the South Dakota Attorney General and recorded its conflicts-of-interest filings; roll-call voting on the conflicts record showed one abstention as noted in the minutes. The consent agenda, including acknowledged donations, was approved and the board adjourned after completing its business.

The items approved by first reading (copyright policy and attendance policy) must return for final approval at a future meeting; other organizational actions take effect as recorded in the meeting minutes.