BROOKINGS – Incumbent Wes Tschetter has submitted paperwork to run for a three-year term on the Brookings School Board.

Tschetter was appointed to the board as the replacement for Jennifer Lacher-Starace back in 2018 when she took a position at Mickelson Middle School. He then was the only candidate to file for another one-year term on the board in 2019.

Tschetter also previously served on the school board for 12 years, from 1994-2006. 

He has almost four decades of financial management expertise as South Dakota State University’s former chief financial officer.

“We’ve got challenges in terms of improving the situation at Hillcrest and Medary for the capital expenditures for maintenance,” Tschetter said, “and to improve and figure out all of the challenges to how we can have an alternate program for high school students.”

The school board presently faces several challenges: MMS construction issues; fixing/updating Hillcrest and Medary, which both have a roughly $12 million bill; a proposal by Brookings High School Principal Paul von Fisher and Vice Principal Shelly Jensen to develop an alternative high school to service students who are falling behind academically, and working with a proposed 0% increase in school budget funding from the state.

Tschetter said that an ongoing concern of his is making sure that teachers are well compensated and providing the best education possible. But Tschetter said that finding solutions to these problems and working through them is the job of the board, and with his experience he will be able to help find answers.

“We’re all leaders, in one way or another,” Tschetter said. “Whether you’re in the classroom or maintenance person or a substitute teacher, we’re all filling roles as leaders in leadership positions in various ways. The school board is probably going to have to be the model of leadership in terms of providing that for the district, and that’s why I’m running for the school board.”

Tschetter’s seat on the school board is the only one up for grabs this spring.

Also opening are two three-year seats on the Brookings City Council, now held by Dan Hansen and Ope Niemeyer. Hansen has announced on his Facebook page that he is not seeking re-election.

Nominating petitions and candidate packets for candidates are available  at the City Clerk’s Office in the Brookings City & County Government Center, 520 Third St., and at the Brookings School District business office at 2130 Eighth St. S.

The deadline to file petitions is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28. If more candidates file petitions than there are seats available, the city-school election is April 14.

For more information on the council election, contact Brookings City Clerk Bonnie Foster at 692-6281 or bfoster@cityofbrookings.org. For information on the school board election, contact Business Manager Brian Lueders at 696-4700 or Brian.Lueders@k12.sd.us.

Contact Matthew Rhodes at mrhodes@brookingsregister.com.