February 20th - 24th is School Board Recognition Week in South Dakota. The Harrisburg School District celebrates the collaboration among the board, school leadership, teachers, and parents on behalf of students. “Recognizing the efforts of our volunteer school board is so important because of all the hard work they put into making our District a success,” Superintendent Tim Graf said.
“During School Board Recognition Week, we encourage public school districts to celebrate their elected leaders for their service to the students, staff and community,” ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany said.
The school board was presented with certificates recognizing their dedication and commitment to the students of the Harrisburg School District at the February 13th school board meeting. Over the years, the board has earned multiple awards recognizing their collective efforts to enhance their knowledge of school board work.
South Dakota school boards are critical to the success of students and the future of our State. Boards lead their districts in the right direction, providing oversight, setting goals, overseeing the budget, and selecting and evaluating the superintendent. Our school board volunteers serve for the betterment of their local schools and communities.
Jay Hutton
Mr. Hutton and his wife grew up on a farm/ranch setting, and says, “we missed the outdoor space. An opportunity came up to move to an acreage outside of Harrisburg, so we did it.” Jay is employed with Wells Fargo, and he and his wife are raising three children in the Harrisburg School District - a Junior and Freshman at HHS, and 6th Grader at SMS. Hutton finds the most rewarding part of his five years on the board to be “getting to know all the wonderful people working to educate my kids. I wanted to serve and give back to the community in a capacity outside of our church and immediate friend circles. The amazing talent, thoughtfulness, and creativity of the teachers and admin team sets the tone for the district. Personally, the board helps me mature into a more highly educated and thoughtful board member each year of service.”
Jay wants the community to know "we really value the education being provided to students and hope to continue to provide opportunities that are not necessarily found in other districts. We appreciate all the support for the school being able to keep up with the growth in the district." He advises community members to “get to know your students’ teachers, find out about their daily needs, and help them celebrate milestones -- even those outside of the teaching setting. Also, please help us as a board to thank district employees who keep our facilities at a premium: bus drivers, custodians, fine arts leaders, athletic volunteers, and club mentors. Consider all the volunteer hours our staff provides around these extra-curricular activities and extend a thank you!”