Editor's note: This article has been corrected to reflect that candidate Tasi Barondeau currently has children in the Brookings School District.

BROOKINGS – With the Friday filing deadline come and gone, the candidates for the April 14 Brookings City Council and Brookings School Board elections are set.

On the City Council side, two three-year seats are available, and three candidates are in the running – Joey Collins, Cassie Juba and Ope Niemeyer.

The posts are now held by Dan Hansen and Niemeyer. Hansen is not running for re-election.

The Brookings School Board has one three-year seat up for grabs, with four candidates. 

Incumbent Wes Tschetter is running for re-election. Also seeking the post are Tasiyagnunpa Barondeau, Kyle Dahl and Jacqueline Johnson, who all filed petitions this week.

Johnson has lived in Brookings since 2004 and has an 11-year-old and an 8-year-old in the Brookings School District. She works as an optometric assistant at Brookings Vision Center and is the vice president/CFO of MR Johnson Furnishings.

Johnson believes it’s important for a school board member to have a child in the system they oversee.

“People on the board should have children in the school district,” she said, noting she can bring a good perspective to the school board. 

Johnson also said her eldest has dyslexia, which gives her additional insight to how the school system works, and she can more readily help people if they have questions about their own kids.

Barondeau has lived in Brookings for many years and has several children in the Brookings School District. She is a freelance writer and stay-at-home mother and has worked as a digital ad salesperson and professional writer.

Barondeau said she’s interested in keeping the Brookings School District up to date on technology and diversity. She believes the school system is wonderful and “wouldn’t run if I didn’t think so,” but believes there is a lot the district can do to improve.

Barondeau is in support of the proposed alternative high school. She said she firmly believes that each child learns differently, and the district needs to learn how to be more accommodating and understanding of children and their learning needs. 

She said one of her own kids has ADHD, which affects many children within the community and how they learn; from this, she said, she can bring a unique and insightful perspective to the school board.