Meet your Hill City School Board candidates

There are two seats up for grabs for the Hill City School District Board of Education. 

Incumbent  Carmen Ronish describes her occupation as a controller. She has been a resident of the Hill City School District for 23 Years and has a son in the district finishing his eighth grade year.

Both Jacob Rapp and Karen Street are also running for the open seats. 

Rapp has lived in the Hill City School District for “roughly” 25 years and has two daughters that attend Hill City Schools.

Street is a lifelong resident of the Black Hills, who grew up in Custer. She has been a  resident of the Hill City School District for 26 years. 

“Professionally, I am a sales representative for Wheeler Manufacturing,” Street says. She has two kids that attend school in Hill City, a daughter who is a junior and a son in eighth grade.

Ronish is “seeking reelection to the Hill City School Board to continue doing what is best for the kids in our district and being a good steward for our taxpayers’ dollars. I want to continue to ensure transparency in the decision-making process, communication with all the district stakeholders, and processes to make sure all voices are heard.

She “decided to run originally to become more familiar with how the school district works, and to make sure there was transparency in the discussion and decisions made.”

Ronish says she has been involved in school and community activities and organizations for the past 23 years.

“Through my work on school committees, parent organizations and as a teacher’s spouse, I have developed an understanding of all the things that happen each year for our students and our district. I enjoy being a part of helping provide those activities and welcoming new people to continue the constant evolution of how things are done.”

Rapp  says this is the first year that he has  thought about running for school board.

“The reason I decided to run for the school board is so I could be part of one of the best school districts in the state and  also be a representative of Keystone.”

Rapp thinks he can offer  an “even keel approach to tough decisions and also day to day operations.”

Street started to consider running for school board about a year ago and had “given it a great deal of consideration before finally deciding to run.”

She sees her  role on the school board as a means,” to provide support, to ensure accountability, and to be an advocate for the kids.

Rapp lists a few of his duties on the school board as setting  big picture goals for the district, reviewing new policies, completing an annual evaluation of the superintendent and adopting and overseeing the annual budget.

Ronish  sees her duties in the role as a school board member as creating and overseeing district policies, and then delegating the application of policies to the superintendent.

“We need to maintain open and transparent lines of communication with the community and ensure that district policies are followed while keeping the idea of what is best for all our students as a focal point.”

As for challenges facing  the district, Ronish sees the current challenge “is making sure our district has a teacher in every classroom and retaining those teachers for years to come. Providing the support and opportunities for our students that we have come to expect in our district is only possible when we provide stability in our programs and support our staff as they grow and seek out new programming for our students.”

Street says one of the biggest challenges the district faces “is finding great teachers that can afford to live in our community with the growing costs. As a Wheeler rep, I have worked with many businesses over the years. I know what it takes to get things done successfully, on time, and within budget. I believe I can use my skills to find solutions that our district may encounter.”

Rapp sees property taxes and lack of state funding as the  major issues facing the district.

Street says she “wants to be a voice that reflects a large portion of our community that have kids that play soccer.

“We have an opportunity for these kids to continue at a high school level with a co-op with Custer. While the sports our school currently offers fit many kids, there is a community of kids who are not currently finding extra curricular opportunities here,” she said. “As part of Hill City Youth Athletics, I devoted many hours and years to developing our soccer program. I would like to see the kids who have a passion for the sport have the opportunity to continue their development once they are beyond the limits of the HCYA program.”

Ronish  says there is no  specific issue she wants to address.

“My only agenda is making sure we provide the best education possible for our kids. I am here and hope to stay on the board doing what is best for kids first, and then being a good steward with our tax dollars.”

If elected, Rapp would like to see more CIT and  trade-related classes offered  during his term as a school board member.

Rapp says people should vote for him, “because I deeply care about our schools and our district. I will bring common sense  and  a level head to our district. The kids’ well being is my number one commitment.”

He is appreciative of the opportunity and says, “I look forward to serving the Hill City School District with passion and integrity.”

Ronish says people should vote for her because “I have enjoyed and learned a lot in my last two terms on the board. While the work is challenging and there is always something new to learn, it is extremely rewarding as we continue to push through some adverse situations and create an environment that best supports our students, staff and patrons. I would be honored to continue that work for another term.” 

Street says people should vote for her because, “I believe the Hill City School District does a great job at educating our kids. I will help to ensure that continues and push the board to be forward thinking for our kids and our communities future.

“If people want to ‘get the ball rolling"’ then they should vote for Karen!”

The HCSB election takes place June 4 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.