STURGIS, S.D. – Facts. And feelings. The two don’t always go hand in hand – no more so than when it comes to kids and education.
For two people, one a concerned parent, the other a Meade School District 46-1 school board member, both know all too well there are not always easy answers.
For Sally Mickelson of Union Center, S.D., who attended country schools in Meade County, she wants a clear answer from the school board as to whether either the Elm Springs or the Hereford schools are going to be closed.
“What is put up on the school board agenda is facilities closure and budget cutbacks. The facilities closure seems to me is rural schools now. If they were out-right saying it, it wouldn’t bother me as much. If that’s what has to happen, well, that’s what has to happen. But not directly saying this is what we are considering and making that information available to people so they can say their piece, is what concerns me.”
At one time, there were 160 country schools in Meade County. Now there are five.
Lee Spring, who ranches north of Union Center and who is a school board member and who also attended the Atall country school as his kids have, says there is no announcement to make because discussions as to how to address a general fund budget deficit are ongoing.
“There are a lot of options on the table. There’s a lot of things there we are looking at coming up in the next couple months. But there are no concrete answers on how much we have to cut yet, let alone what we’re going to do.”
He adds, “I have heard from parents. They don’t want their schools to close. I get that 100 percent. I understand where they’re coming from. I grew up out here, I went to school out here. I understand that when you take that away, it does change a community and not for the better.”
Mickelson is critical of what she sees as the school board’s focus on attracting students to some schools within the district while ignoring what she sees as a continuing value – a good return – on a rural school education.
“From my perspective, when we are equivocating to increase amenities at some schools while shutting down more schools that have never had these amenities, it doesn’t make sense.”
A declining enrollment across the Meade School District 46-1 is the problem, says Spring.
“We projected a 3,100 enrollment increase over the whole district at one time. Now we’re down quite a bit below that. We have lost quite a bit of enrollment to home school. If our enrollment was up even 100 students like we had hoped, it would be a totally different conversation.”
Over the next couple of months, he says there will be discussion on how to trim costs to reach a balanced general fund budget. Mickelson, who attended a most recent school board meeting, said based on her understanding, and while there is still time for public input, plans are to approve budget cuts in October with possible school closure(s) to be announced December 1, 2025.
Spring encourages stakeholders to attend upcoming school board meetings.
“If parents have concerns, they need to come to meetings. It’s the best way to be heard. We have had some parents come in and we appreciate it.”
Mickelson hopes that happens. She believes a united approach from parents with kids in rural schools in Meade County means speaking as one – or risk losing more.
“I don’t think this only affects Elm Springs. This habit of chopping off little schools seems to have been the district’s solution for a long time.”
It’s an emotional issue, says Spring. And a financially hard one to solve. He is firm – as he says the entire school board is – in doing the best they can while realizing it might not be enough for some.
“I grew up five miles from the Atall School, which is still open. I wouldn’t trade that education for myself or for my kids for anything. The education they received from that school is hands down, second to none.
“I want people to know, speaking for myself – and I think for the whole board – these decisions aren’t taken lightly. It’s a balancing deal, it’s not easy to try and make it work. Sometimes we have to make decisions we really don’t want to make, to try and keep every school going.