June 13, 2018

As he wraps up his time as the secretary of education for the State of South Dakota, Don Kirkegaard, the next superintendent for the West Bend Joint School District #1, answered some questions so we can learn more about him.

May 29, 2018

Current Secretary of Education for South Dakota Named West Bend Schools Superintendent

The West Bend Joint School District #1 School Board voted unanimously to choose Donald A. Kirkegaard as the next superintendent for the school district. Kirkegaard has accepted the position and begins his tenure on July 9, 2018.
 

West Bend School Board President Joel Ongert stated, “With Don, we’re bringing in a person who will be both a partner and a leader. Because his experience is significant, I am certain Don will hit the ground running in both the school district and the community. Our thanks to parents and members of the community for their involvement in the search process.”
 

Kirkegaard is currently serving as secretary of education for the state of South Dakota. He left a superintendent position in 2017 after being appointed as secretary of education by the governor of South Dakota. Kirkegaard’s experience includes nearly 23 years as superintendent of both the Meade School District and Britton-Hecla School District in South Dakota. He was also a principal in the Britton-Hecla School District for six years.
 

“West Bend is an outstanding school district in a community I will be able to call home,” said Kirkegaard, “This position is a really good fit for me, as the skill set the school board is looking for is what I can bring to the district. I appreciate the governor of South Dakota allowing me the opportunity to serve as secretary of education, and look forward to bringing my background and experience to the West Bend School District.”
 

While leading the Meade School District, Kirkegaard oversaw the implementation of all-day kindergarten, one-to-one technology for all students grades 4-12, expanded credit offerings, the building of a new elementary school, and new partnerships with businesses to improve the CTE programming.
 

Kirkegaard earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from South Dakota State University, a master’s degree in school administration from Northern State University, and an educational specialist degree in school district administration from the University of South Dakota.
 

He was named South Dakota Superintendent of the Year in 2009. In addition, Kirkegaard was a member of the South Dakota State Board of Education from 2007-2017, serving as president of the board from 2011-2017. He was an executive board member of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement from 1992-2006, and a member of the South Dakota Governor’s Educational Task Force in 2003.
 

Ken Schmidt, member of the West Bend School Board, said, “Don will be a very good fit for the community. He is well qualified, and I look forward to having him lead the district.”

Hiring Kirkegaard for the position is the culmination of a comprehensive search by the school board with the assistance of the search firm McPherson & Jacobson LLC. Said Ongert, “Our thanks to McPherson & Jacobson for their work on this search. They brought us 43 applicants, which showed a tremendous interest in West Bend.”

“As a parent and a board member, I am delighted to know Don Kirkegaard comes to us with 23 years of steady, solid leadership as a superintendent,” commented West Bend School Board Member Tiffany Larson. “He is well-respected throughout the state of South Dakota for his communication skills, strengths in school finance, and ability to collaborate and compromise when needed. He understands that to have a great community we need great schools.”

Previous Updates on the Search: 

To secure these services, the school board determined to utilize the RFP process to locate search firms to conduct a regional search. After a team of district administrators prepared the RFP, the school board approved it during its meeting on January 22, 2018. 

February 2018
During its meeting on February 26, the school board approved a contract with executive search firm McPherson & Jacobson LLC to assist the board in a search for the next West Bend Joint School District #1 superintendent.

March 2018
McPherson & Jacobson conducted five stakeholder meetings with community members, parents, students, administrators, and other staff on March 20. to gain valuable information on determining the qualities of the next WBSD superintendent. They will use this valuable input to assist them in the important task of selecting superintendent candidates. They will work to post the job nationally in the week of March 25. 

Community members and parents can contribute their thoughts to McPherson & Jacobson about qualities of the WBSD superintendent by using this form. 

April 2018
McPherson & Jacobson has posted the superintendent opening for the West Bend Joint School District #1 and is recruiting. Here is the timeline for the search:

1. Application deadline: April 23, 2018

2. Semi-Finalists selected by School Board: Week of May 7, 2018 (closed session meeting)

3. Semi-Finalist Interviews with School Board: May 16, 2018

4. Finalist Interviews with School Board: Week of May 21, 2018

5. Selection of new superintendent: Week of May 28, 2018

6. New superintendent projected starting date: July 1, 2018

May 2018
During a meeting on May 7, the school board chose seven candidates to interview the week of May 14. After interviews during the week of May 14, three finalists were chosen by the board to interview again the week of May 21. Read more about the three finalists and the opportunity to meet them at a community meeting.