Mar. 29—MITCHELL — The Mitchell Board of Education will see two incumbents return for another term on the five-person governing board.

Mitchell School District officials confirmed Friday that Brittni Flood and Shawn Ruml were the only two individuals to take out and file nominating petitions for their seats on the board for the 2024 election. That means the pair will each return for another three-year term after their current terms on the board expire in July.

With only two candidates running for two at-large seats on the board of education, their return to the board is assured. There will be no need for a school election, which was slated to be held June 4 in conjunction with the city of Mitchell election, which will see

several candidates vie for the position of mayor as well as several city council seats.

Both Flood and Ruml joined the Mitchell Board of Education in 2021, after then-current board members Neil Putnam and Lacey Musick decided not to seek re-election. The two came out on top among a field that included four other candidates in what was the most-contested board of education electoral race since at least 1984, according to school officials.

Ruml said the first three years on the board were a learning experience for him, but he’s happy about how the board handled the shift in district leadership when Joe Graves left the superintendent position to become the secretary of education for South Dakota.

Securing Joe Childs to replace him was also important, he said.

“We did the interim superintendent search, which was pretty extensive, and that after that we went through the whole process to make sure it was opened up and went with Dr. Childs, and I think we got really lucky having somebody who knew our district and had those qualifications,” Ruml said.

The start of construction for the new high school, and the public’s vote passing the bond issue to pay for athletic facilities at the same time was also a highpoint, he said.

Ruml said he has no specific agenda for his upcoming term, but he would like to see pay for coaches and administrators addressed in a similar way to how paraeducator and teacher salaries have been adjusted.

“I know we’ve made some increases (for paraeducators) and obvioulsy teacher pay, our teacher pay is comparable to other schools, but (I’d like to look at) coaching and positions with coaching and how we’re very far behind other schools,” Ruml said.

Flood also noted the school bond issue as a highlight of her first term.

“Being able to pass the bond issue for the activity center is a huge accomplishment. We will be able to not only provide the school with a fantastic facility but also the community. I believe it will open opportunities for growth,” Flood said.

Adding a preschool to the district has been discussed in recent months, and Flood said that will be an important area of focus to study into the future.

“I feel as a school we will always have ongoing issues. We have been able to be open and honest about the things we need to accomplish. Something that I feel is incredibly important is to look into a preschool program. There is a need for a preschool program in the community. I know it would be a cost but it would also provide our students with a great start to their education. If we want students that perform at high levels we need to start them from the ground up and put them on the right track,” Flood said.

Ruml works at Innovative Systems in Mitchell and studied education at the University of South Dakota, and Flood studied education at Dakota Wesleyan University.

Flood and Ruml will rejoin a board that also includes Deb Olson, Deb Everson and Terry Aslesen as members.