The back-to-school season means new faces, and challenges, in all of South Dakota’s schools. For the new superintendent in Rapid City, it also means stepping up to the new role.
Jamie Jo Thompson brings decades of experience in education to the school district, but also says it represents the beginning of a new era for herself and RCAS.
Thompson began her work in special education and has served in various roles at multiple school districts in the Midwest.
“As far as my goals moving forward, first and foremost I want to learn as much about our staff, our students, our schools and our community as I can in as short a time as possible," Thompson said. "So, as I’m looking at the strategic plan and I’m trying to operationalize that and put action steps in place that I make sure they’re the right action steps.”
She said now is a time for moving forward after a challenging few years for the district which saw the departure of a former superintendent.
“I have sensed a real sense of hope," Thompson said. "People want to get better, they want to do better and learn from the past and put things in place to help move Rapid City Area Schools forward.”
Now come the challenges of managing the state’s second largest school district. For instance, largescale infrastructure issues have made some schools unusable in the late summer.
On the first week of instruction, ten schools with limited or no functioning air conditioning were forced to have early releases as the temperature neared triple digits.
“There’s a two-pronged approach – the here and now, and the future," Thompson said. "We make the best decision we can with the safety of our staff and students in mind. That will probably continue for a few years, but those are very expensive projects. At the very minimum, maybe a million dollars, and if it’s a larger building maybe up to three (million)”
Thompson said this could be a matter a community bond issue could solve. According to South Dakota NewsWatch, it has been over 50 years since the last successful school bond vote in Rapid City.