Four vie for school board seats

The Custer School District (CSD) Board of Education has three seats up for election for three-year terms in the June 2 primary. Currently, the seats are held by Travis Hartshorn, Larry Baker and Sara Barrick. Hartshorn, Baker and Barrick all filed petitions, as did Mark Perrenoud.
Hartshorn grew up in Custer County and currently lives near Hermosa. He is a farmer, rancher and a business owner. 
“Many of you also know me through my time with the Fairburn Volunteer Fire Department or from my years serving as president of the Fairburn Fire District. My roots are here, and I care deeply about the people who call this county home,” said Hartshorn.
Hartshorn has been serving on the school board for nine years and considers it an honor.
“I’ve seen how the decisions we make directly impact our kids throughout the county,” said Hartshorn.
When it comes to the CSD, Hartshorn said there are a few things he keeps front and center. The first is common sense and finances.
“Running a ranch and a business teaches the value of a dollar. I take my responsibility to our taxpayers seriously and make sure we are being smart with our budget,” said Hartshorn.
Second is supporting CSD staff members.
“We have fantastic educators who work incredibly hard. I want to make sure they have what they need to do their jobs effectively so our kids can excel,” said Hartshorn.
The third thing is creating a solid culture.
“I’m not afraid to stand up for what I believe is right. My goal is to keep our community of parents, coaches, students and staff working together as a team district-wide,” said Hartshorn.
When asked why people should vote for him, Hartshorn said, “I’ve enjoyed the last nine-plus years, and I still have the drive to keep our district moving forward. I’m invested in this community, I’m invested in our students and I would appreciate your vote to continue that work.”
Baker is a field and operations manager for Action Mechanical in Rapid City and has been a resident of Custer County for 51 years.
“In the past, I have served as the president of the Custer County Fair Board, board member for the Construction Industry Center and am a current board member for WDT Plumbing Program,” said Baker.
Baker has served on the CSD Board of Education for one year as an appointed member and six years as an elected member.
“I decided to run again to help give the east side of the county a voice and also bring my knowledge back to the board from years of experience,” said Baker. “I feel I bring a strong voice to the board, and I am not afraid to question everything that is discussed to ensure everyone on the board fully understands the issue at hand. My 30-plus years of experience in engineering and construction I feel also brings experience to the district when we are discussing facilities.”
Baker said his main priority is always providing students with the best possible education.
“The budget is a major priority for the district as our income is set by taxes, and we as a board have to maintain a balanced budget to ensure the future stability of the CSD,” said Baker.
Beyond the budget, Baker said, “I feel one of the biggest issues facing the CSD is the vast area our district covers. It is not an easy task to maintain multiple schools on each side of the county. I feel we are losing a lot of students in the district when they reach the high school level, as the only option in the district is for students to travel 30 miles each way from Hermosa to Custer. This does not include the additional travel required for the rural kids that may have to travel 20-plus miles just to get to Hermosa. Families have elected to home school or send to Rapid City in lieu of having their children ride the bus or travel 30-plus miles through Custer State Park just to get to high school.”
When asked why people should vote for him, Baker said, “I believe people should vote for me as I bring 50-plus years of local knowledge to the district as being a resident of the county since birth. I also attended Hermosa Grade School and graduated from Custer High School in 1993. I also bring a strong voice to the board in support of the taxpayers of the district.”
Sara Barrick is a Multiline Representative/Account Manager at Custer State Farm and a long-time resident of Custer.
Barrick is concluding her fifth year of service on the CSD Board of Education, having fulfilled two years of another member’s term before being elected to a term. 
“I believe I still have more to contribute. When I was first elected, I was told it would take two to three years to fully understand the operations and complexities of the board, and that proved true. I now feel confident and grounded in the role, and I want to continue serving the students of our district and the community that elected me,” said Barrick. “Dr. Tim Fredrick, our superintendent, has brought forward strong ideas over the past year, and I would welcome the opportunity to help bring those initiatives to life.”
Barrick said serving on the board involves more than attending meetings.
“It requires thoroughly reviewing agendas, preparing for discussions and asking difficult but necessary questions in advance,” she said.
In addition, Barrick volunteered to serve on the finance, policies and wellness committees, as well as the Black Hills Special Services Cooperative and the Black Hills Education Benefits Cooperative, which are district affiliated boards.
“Through these roles, I have gained meaningful insight into district policies, finances, health insurance and special services available to our schools and region. I also have two children in the district, now in junior high and high school. I want them, their peers and all students in the Custer/Hermosa School District to receive the highest quality education possible,” said Barrick.
In light of the current budget and Reduction in Force situation, Barrick said, “Our priority will always be the students. Budget discussions and staff reductions can be difficult, but the board remains focused on supporting student learning. We also have a responsibility to ensure long-term sustainability for the district. Some difficult decisions have been necessary, although many reductions have been addressed through attrition or staff transitions such as relocations or career changes outside the district.
“It has been no secret that budget adjustments were needed this year, and I want to acknowledge the extensive work done by Dr. Frederick, our administrative teams and staff in both Custer and Hermosa. They identified reductions that preserve educational quality and minimize impact on students and staff. This effort will continue over the coming months and into the next school year.”
Barrick said declining enrollment, Senate Bill 245 and the district’s geographic circumstances are some additional challenges of the CSD. 
“However, our board, superintendent, and administrative team have been working on innovative solutions to address these challenges. One example is the development of a Virtual Academy, which will offer students additional learning pathways and position Custer as a leader in this area. More information will be shared soon,” said Barrick. 
When asked why people should vote for her, Barrick said, “I make decisions with the best interests of students in mind, and I am committed to ensuring our district maintains a sustainable budget. The additional COVID19 funding allowed us to enhance technology, improve facilities and better support students’ learning needs, but that funding has ended. Moving forward, we must return to operating within our means and maintaining a balanced budget. There are many positive things happening in both the Custer and Hermosa schools, and I want to help ensure those successes continue.”
Mark Perrenoud is a retired licensed psychologist and a long-time office holder, including president of the South Dakota Psychological Association. He has owned property and worked in Custer County since 2002 and has lived in the county since 2021.
“I was a candidate last year and am running again this year,” said Perrenoud. “One of the most important responsibilities of a community is to provide a quality education to its children. I believe it is important for us to serve our community and that I am a good fit for the CSD Board of Education. Public education is under attack from a number of directions and needs advocates.”
As a psychologist, Perrenoud said he often worked with children and youth who were struggling in school.
“This also included working with their parents and school. As a result, I have some understanding of how schools operate. I have a good understanding of child development and learning. I communicate well with others and can be a good team member. I believe it is important to be open-minded and learn what the related research can tell us about how to best address a concern. We need to find the balance between meeting the needs of the students, staff, parents and taxpayers,” said Perrenoud.
As for the district’s current budget situation, Perrenoud said public schools are underfunded and face overly complex and uncertain funding at the federal, state and county levies.
“The school funding formula is being reviewed and subject to being changed. One new property tax reduction law affects school funding in 2027, but the sales tax income amounts can now only be estimated. The budget needs to be lean, and the board worked hard to cut expenses for next year. We cannot repeatedly borrow from reserves and capital outlay to fulfill the budget. Budgeting projections are necessary but hard to calculate when the income numbers are so uncertain,” said Perrenoud.
Although Perrenoud sees the budget as the largest issue facing the CSD and many others, he said, “We must not lose our focus on students getting what they need, providing good support to our teachers and having good communication with parents.”
Specifically, Perrenoud said, “Public education needs advocates, particularly with our state legislature. I have a special interest in students that are not comfortable in school due to a variety of reasons. They are at risk of not graduating or withdrawing from school. This then puts the student at risk of not receiving an adequate education. 
“Having fewer students in the district has a negative impact on the budget. We need to lessen these withdrawals and seek feedback about the families’ reasons for leaving the school district. This can help us identify areas for improvement. Students developing critical thinking skills, improving student achievement and minimizing the risks of AI in education are also ongoing areas to address.”