Andrea J. Cook, Journal staff | Posted: Sunday, June 17, 2007 11:00 pm
|
BOX ELDER - A married couple could end up sitting next to each
other on the Douglas School Board if voters give Kelly Schwartz one
of two open seats on the board when they vote Tuesday.
Kelly Schwartz faces incumbent Janice Jungemann, Mark Knodel
and former board member Dennis Boomsma in race for the two,
three-year seats on the five-member board.
Boomsma has been a full-time member of the National Guard for
25 years.
Douglas business manager Trista Hedderman says it is legal for
both Schwartz's to serve on the school board.
But voters are questioning the ethics of having two people
from the same household on the board.
Tammy Huebner, an employee and resident of the school
district, says it will be difficult for people with "two like
minds" to vote against one another or disagree.
Kelly Schwartz says the voters will have to decide if it is
appropriate to have two people from the same family representing
them.
Anyone who knows the couple knows that they don't always
agree, she said.
"Les is my husband, but I'm my own individual person," Kelly
Schwartz said.
This is Kelly Schwartz' first venture into public service, but
she has served on boards for state billiard tournaments.
"I know how boards work," she said.
After 24 years in business at Box Elder, she also understands
business and has made friends with students and parents in the
school district, she said.
The Schwartz's operate J & L Market in Box Elder and are
partners in Break Room Billiards in Rapid City. They moved their
family from Rapid City to a ranch northeast of Box Elder about
three years ago. They have two daughters, one a graduate of
Douglas.
Their youngest daughter, Kelsie, will be a junior at New
Underwood High School in the fall. Kelsie is using open enrollment
to change schools.
"We want the best for our kid," Kelly Schwartz said. "The
academics are outstanding (at Douglas). The athletics need some
work."
Douglas needs more parents who are willing to volunteer their
time to work with students, especially in athletic programs, Kelly
Schwartz said.
Kelsie has opportunities in basketball at New Underwood that
she doesn't have at Douglas, Kelly Schwartz said. New Underwood is
also appealing because it has a rodeo club and offers vocational
classes, neither is available at Douglas, she said.
Schwartz was out of town on Tuesday, June 12, when the Douglas
Education Association hosted a candidates' forum.
At that forum, Mark Knodel confirmed that New Underwood's
vocational classes are luring his high school-age son away from the
Douglas district next fall.
Knodel lives on a small "hobby farm" in the district and works
for Montana, Dakota Utilties in Rapid City. He graduated from
Douglas High School. He has two sons.
Knodel defends his son's choice of a school - "it's his life,
it's his education."
New Underwood offers the hands on vocational courses in
welding and mechanics his son wants to take, Knodel said.
His youngest son is staying in the Douglas system, he
said.
Knodel is running for the board because he wants to be
involved in his children's education.
"I've been a part of the community for over 40 years," Knodel
said. "I think I can make a difference."
The school district needs to prepare for the growth that is
heading its way and find a way to provide vocational training for
students who are not college bound, he said.
Knodel has no objections to having Kelly Schwartz on the board
with her husband, he said.
Knodel said having a couple on the board would not be much
different than having a board member with a spouse employed by the
school district.
If voters do not want the couple on the board, they shouldn't
vote for Kelly Schwartz, he said.
"It's not one of my major hurdles," he said. "Is it really
that big of an issue? They're still only two votes."
Jungemann and Boomsma disagree saying it's a question of
ethics.
Board members routinely remove themselves from votes on issues
related to their spouses who work for the school district,
Jungemann said.
Jungemann was appointed to the board last year to complete the
term of Tom Drouin who moved to another state. She represents the
board on the Associated School Boards of South Dakota board of
directors.
Jungemann retired from the Douglas School District over four
years ago. She worked for the school district for 28 years. Prior
to her retirement, she supervised the district's in-school
suspension program. She has a grandchild in the school
district.
She likes serving on the school board, she said.
Douglas has good schools and a fantastic staff and
administrators, Jungemann said.
But, there are things she wants to continue working on for the
district.
With the change in the compulsory attendance age from 16 to
18, vocational programs can help the school district meet the needs
of more students, Jungemann said.
"I'm concerned about keeping these 18-year-olds in school,"
she said.
Jungemann said developing stronger ties with Western Dakota
Technical Institute could be one way to give students access to
courses at WDTI that would also count towards high school
graduation.
Over the past year, Jungemann has learned how important Impact
Aid funding is to the school district. The district needs to
continue to work to preserve that funding, she said.
"And, when it's no longer here, the strong community can pick
up where the Impact Aid is lost," Jungemann said. "That's got to be
our goal and what we work towards."
Boomsma spent nine years on the Douglas School Board. He lost
a re-election bid to Cathy Melendez two years ago.
Boomsma has been a full-time member of the National Guard for
25 years.
Boomsma does not have any children in the school district, but
said he likes being involved in the community that has been his
home for the last 15 years.
"The future of our country depends on the education of our
children," he said. "We need to be sure that every student is
educated to the best of their ability."
The school district should to be a place where students want
to come because it has a "safe environment with good teachers," he
said.
The Douglas School District is not a dying school district
like many in the state, but a growing district, Boomsma said. That
growth will create financial trials for the district that depends
heavily on Impact Aid. The district needs to prepare for balancing
its budget with the money available.
"The state of South Dakota doesn't provide enough funding,"
Boomsma said.
Boomsma also said he doesn't understand why Schwartz and
Knodel are running the school board when they are sending children
to another school.
He also believes that it is unethical for a husband and wife
to serve on the same board.
"There's too much opportunity for conflict of interest,"
Boomsma said.
Douglas School Board
Election
Voting for two at-large school board members
When: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 19
Where: Badger Clark Elementary School, 401 Don Williams
Dr.
Candidates: Dennis Boomsma, Janice Jungemann, Mark Knodel and
Kelly Schwartz
Contact Andrea Cook at 394-8423 or
andrea.cook@rapidcityjournal.com
