Milbank School Board Hears Enrollment To Be Over 1,015 as Classes Near

The Milbank School District Board of Education met Monday, August 10, as registration was underway, and teachers and staff were preparing for the first day of the 2026-27 school year.

Parking lots were repainted to welcome over 1,015 students. Superintendent Justin Downes told the board the district’s enrollment picture is looking positive and he added, ‘“We had four students that were unknown to us come in today, so that’s obviously good.” 

The Board Approved the consent agenda, including the minutes from their July meeting,  the business managers financial report, bills to be paid, and a promissory note for $15,600 for the lunch fund from the general fund. The motion was made by Jon Christensen  and seconded by Matt Trevett. 

Six open enrollment requests were approved – three in kindergarten, one in third grade, and two in fourth grade.  The motion was made by Trevett and seconded by Seffrood.

An additional junior kindergarten request received approval later in the meeting with a motion by Thue that was approved by Trevett.

Downes commented that getting new families registered earlier has helped the district plan class sizes and schedules and has reduced some of the last-minute surprises that often come at the beginning of a school year.

Seffrood reported the enrollment for the Boys & Girls Club had passed 100 students that day. Additional families are expected to register. The district is also beginning the year with its new in-school daycare option for staff. 

The board approved a three percent rate increase for Defea Transportation. 

Lane change was approved for Jennifer Schulte  (Motion by Thue and seconded by Trevett.) Carissa Johnson was approved as a long-term substitute until her SDTAP South Dakota Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway (SDTAP)  requirements have been met or for the second semester, whichever comes first  (Motion by Christensen and seconded by Trevett.)

Coaches:
Josh Schmeichel was hired as the Milbank Middle School assistant wrestling coach.  (Motion by Trevett and seconded by Thue.) 

Dick Schmeichel was approved as a volunteer cross country coach. (Motion by Seffrood and seconded by Christensen)

Connor Snaza was approved as a volunteer football coach. (Motion by Christensen and seconded by Trevett) 

Connor Bender was approved as a  volunteer football coach. (Motion by Thue and seconded by Christensen.) 

Brian Sandvig was approved as a volunteer football coach.  (Motion by Trevett and seconded by Seffrood)

The board also approved changes to the elementary, middle school, and high school student handbooks. Downes noted the cell phone policy will remain the same with consequences added. (Motion by Christensen and seconded by Seffrood) 

Changes to the district’s crisis management plan were also approved. Downes said the plan had been reviewed with recommendations from Brett Gardner, who works with school safety at the state level. (Motion by Seffrood and seconded by Thue) The district’s crisis management team will meet again during in-service on September 4 to review the changes, but Downes noted the administration wanted the board to approve the plan before the start of school.

Recent MHS graduate Yanderyn Olivares, MHS Educators Rising adviser Nicci Stengel, and MHS teacher and former ER adviser Robin Schuelke attended the board meeting. Olivares recapped her experience of competing in the Educators Rising national competition this past summer in Portland, Oregon.

Downes updated the board on fall sports. Football, cross country, and golf practices have begun. Volleyball is scheduled to start Thursday, August 13.

The district will host educator and speaker Brian Mendler during in-service on Wednesday, August 12.  Staff members from the Wilmot and Summit school districts also are expected to attend.

At Milbank Elementary, staff have been working to establish common expectations for students. They will begin teaching those expectations throughout the building on the first day of school. The elementary Open House is scheduled for Thursday, August 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Special education staff also provided eight summer service sessions during July. The district continues to update state-required documents for Title, ESL, migrant, and special education programs. 

Nancy Meyer, the district’s business manager, explained  the district is still waiting for the state to complete its review of IDEA funding as the district continues to wrap up its budget applications.

Downes said the district is also working through questions surrounding cooperative purchasing and how a recent statement by the South Dakota Attorney General could affect plans for the purchase of new bleachers. The school  will obtain quotes and review the legal requirements before determining whether bids are necessary.

The district recently received bids for crack sealing the parking lots. Downes said the bids arrived later than expected, so it remains uncertain whether that work can be completed this year.

Downes and Seffrood reported on the recent joint convention of the  Associated School Boards of South Dakota (ASBSD) and the School Administrators of South Dakota (SASD) attended by the district’s six administrators and Seffrood. Downes nominated Valley Queen and the Valley Queen Charitable Foundation for the Community Partnership Award. Valley Queen was selected to receive the honor.

Downes also told the board that he was confirmed in July as the new president of the South Dakota School Superintendents Association (SDSSA).

Downes presented reports for the principals, athletic director, and special services director who were not present.

Board members were reminded of a staff breakfast on Thursday morning, followed by staff photos and a welcome-back session. Downes said he also plans to give employees an overview of how public school funding works in South Dakota.

“We have a lot of positive changes going on right now,” he said.

A motion to adjourn was presented by Thue and seconded by Trevett. 

The next regular meeting of the Milbank School District Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, September 14.