Six candidates vying for two seats on Hill City school board

The Hill City School District Board of Education will have quite a race in the upcoming election. Although there are only two school board positions open, six candidates have lined up for the race. Incumbents John Stam and Rob Timm are being opposed by Todd Grabow, Eric Lind, Andi Bauer and John Jorgensen. This term will be for three years.
John Stam is a six year permanent resident of Hill City who said “I’ve been coming here since 1958 when my grandparents moved here.”
This retired teacher, professor and pastor has been a school board member for the last three years. When asked why he was seeking re-election, Stam said, “I have enjoyed my first three years on the school board. I love our community and believe our school is a tremendous asset. I want to see that we continue to be proud of it.”
More than anything, Stam believes he has a great deal of experience to offer. This includes 31 years in education as a public school teacher, teacher education professor, private school administrator and time as a board member. If elected, Stam sees his role as a collaborative one with the other board members as they see to fiscal responsibility, policy creation and fulfillment, hiring as well as representing the public.
In his opinion, there are three main issues facing the school district. First is fiscal responsibility. Second, Stam would like to make sure that the Hill City School District continues to rank as one of the top schools in the state by hiring good faculty, paying decent wages and keeping the focus on educating students. Finally, Stam wants to help maintain a school system that makes the community proud.
When asked why people should vote for him, Stam answered, “I think experience matters. In addition, I don’t have children or grandchildren attending school here. My vested interest is for our community and for all students.
“My uncle graduated from Hill City High School in 1960, and I have had four nieces and nephews graduate from here in the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as a grand niece who graduated just a few years ago. I believe in this community and in our schools.”
Rob Timm is a grant writer and administrator who has lived in Hill City for 10 years. Between filling out another’s term and completing his own, Timm has served on the school board for four and a half years.
“I am seeking reelection to ensure that all Hill City students are provided the very best education that readies them to become full participants in our society,” he said. “I’m also seeking reelection to further the board of education's continuous improvement plans as well as to finish our work to balance the budget, eventually getting us to a zero-based budget where we only spend what we take in for funding.”
Timm brings to the table over 30 years of experience leading local, regional and statewide organizations as well as facilitating public forums and strategic planning sessions for non-profits and government entities. He has also developed, implemented and evaluated multimillion dollar projects and accompanying budgets.
“I believe the duties of a school board member hinge on ensuring that we provide the very best education for our students while operating within our financial means,” Timm said. “I also believe that my role as a school board member is to help develop, implement and evaluate policies while supervising and evaluating the superintendent. Lastly, as a school board member, it is my responsibility to ensure that the school district is being a good steward of the taxpayers’ monies.”
In his opinion, one of the biggest issues facing the school district is the stability of funding. Another is the recruitment and retention of teachers. For this he would like to see pay increased to meet inflation and look for ways to reduce health insurance costs.
When asked why people should vote for him, Timm answered, “A vote for me means a continued commitment to transparency, conservative budgeting and student-first decision making while encouraging engagement among all Hill City School District patrons.
“Our family is truly thankful for the Hill City School District and the exceptional education our children and others have received.”
Todd Grabow retired as Command Sergeant Major from the South Dakota Army National Guard in 2017 with 24 years of military experience. He is a contract special investigator for federal agencies and operates a custom furniture building business based in Hill City, where his family has lived since 2005.
“I was urged by many friends and people who I respect and trust within the community to get involved in the school board,” said Grabow. “I have witnessed first-hand how the school district helped in shaping our daughter into a successful member of society and a great citizen. I want to help carry on this tradition of excellence.”
Grabow brings to the table experience managing complicated budgets during his time as a human resource manager, assisting to write the Guard’s strategic manning plan and overseeing the development and deliverance of curriculum to students of officer candidates within the western region.
“I have a broad understanding of the stakeholders within our district and their concerns,” he said.
As a potential school board member, Grabow believes his role would be to be an advocate for public education and a positive voice within the community and constantly seeking feedback from all stakeholders, along with understanding policy, law and big-picture issues to guide the district, ensuring the district is financially sound while providing for the best quality outcomes for students. Evaluating the superintendent and identifying areas for improvement, staying out of the day-to-day business in the buildings while allowing staff and teachers the autonomy to carry out the board’s mission, vision and policy.”
The three main issues facing the school board in Grabow’s opinion are the turnover in teacher positions and challenges with filling teacher openings, remaining as a top-ranked school in the state as well as maintaining a balanced budget. Rather than desiring to address one specific issue, Grabow believes in focusing on the big picture and the ultimate mission of providing the best education for kids.
“I am open, transparent and readily available. I have not met one person that I agree with 100 percent of the time, but I do believe my values align with the majority of those within our district,” Grabow said. “I have been involved with diverse teams and committees and have always been able to work with anyone toward a common mission and vision.”
After relocating to the Hill City area,  Grabow said the family quickly learned that the school is amazing, but the community is even better.
“I am committed to the community and am involved,” Grabow said. “Most importantly I am Hill City for life.”
Eric Lind is the co-owner of Krull’s Market and Hill City Hardware along with his wife Danielle, who grew up in and graduated from Hill City High School. They have three children and moved to the Hill City area about five years ago.
“Since we moved to the area, I have seen the community pride in and positive impact of the school and have thought about serving on the board,” said Lind. “This interest and encouragement from others to run made it clear the time was right to enter the race.”
Lind said  by serving on the school board he could use his skills and talents to give back to the community. Some of these abilities include a background in financial management due to his degree in professional accounting, a currently inactive CPA license and work in public accounting. Lind said he has leadership and management skills from being an active business owner and serving on various boards in Hill City.
Lind sees the role of school board members as carrying out the vision of the school district as well as “setting goals and expectations of the administration and ensuring they are executed, ensuring the safety and success of all staff and students, and ensuring the curriculum is consistent with the values of the taxpayers in the district.”
Three main issues facing the school in Lind’s opinion are first teacher recruitment and retention. This has become a more prevalent problem due to the shortage of affordable housing. The second issue is inflation and budgets since the rising costs are affecting the school. Thus, the board will need to effectively manage its resources. A final issue Lind would like to address is the school funding formula and sources.
When asked why people should vote for him, Lind said, “I have experience and skills necessary to be a great advocate for the Hill City Area School District. My wife and I have a long-term investment and commitment in our area, and my vision for the school district is to ensure future success. I would be honored to put my experience to work to be your voice for sensible leadership, responsible spending and excellent education.
“I would love to have an opportunity to talk directly to the voters in our school district,” he said.
Andi Bauer has lived in Hill City since 2017 and is an accounting associate at Prairie Berry Winery. The decision to run for school board was made because of her experience working in schools for four to five years. During this time, Bauer worked in the business office as accounts payable, substituted for all grade levels with a lot of special education and coached youth sports.
“What I feel I could bring best to this role is the eye of a parent with a younger child growing up in this district and looking at opportunities at every age level,” she said. “That means your duty is to make sure  your input comes at an even level and serves what is best for all kids in the district.”
The three main areas in need of improvement according to Bauer are elective courses for high school students, higher wages for teachers and staff as well as the school’s expenditures and funding. Although she has never doubted the district, Bauer does believe there are a few areas that can be improved upon.
When asked why people should vote for her, Bauer answered, “I think I bring a lot to the table. With the experience with working with kids as a substitute, I got to know a lot about being inside the classroom. I saw what it was like from the teacher’s perspective at all grade levels. I also dealt a lot with the business side of things being in the administrative office as the accounts payable. That position touched on many different parts of the entire school district with a good amount of knowledge on our funding and spending. I’ve worked alongside the school board members and I have a pretty good understanding of what it takes to be a strong leader in that role.
“I am very excited for the opportunity to run for school board and know the weight that position carries. I’ve appreciated all of the encouragement and support throughout this short amount of time,” Bauer  said. “In the end, it comes down to what is best for the kids and making sure that you’re doing all that you can to help them succeed.”
John Jorgensen is a lifelong South Dakotan as well as a chief security officer for Black Hills Energy. Running for the school board began as a desire to get involved in the Hill City community after moving here three years prior. However, he ultimately decided to run as a way to “give back and donate my time and experience.”
Along the lines of experience, Jorgensen shared that he has abilities in leadership, transparency, problem solving, critical thinking and public safety. As a potential school board member, he views his responsibilities as assisting to set the vision, managing policies, hiring and evaluating the superintendent, overseeing the budget and advocating on behalf of public education.
The three main problems Jorgensen sees facing the school district are a talent shortage, budgeting and the safety of the children of Hill City. These issues specifically are items of concern to Jorgensen that he would like to address if elected.
When asked why people should vote for him, Jorgensen said, “I bring strong leadership experience, South Dakota conservative values and a commitment to give our children the best opportunities we can provide.
“In my career I have found success leading large global teams, solving difficult problems and building high performing teams. I believe my executive experience will translate well in this position and together we can provide the best possible opportunities for our children and our city.”
For those interested in learning more about the candidates running for school board, there will be a Meet The Candidates Forum May 22 at 2 p.m. in the high school theater. This will allow the public to personally meet the candidates and ask any questions they may have.