Simplified: Three candidates are vying to fill two open seats on the Harrisburg School Board overseeing the third-largest district in the state. Here's a look at each candidate and how they'd approach various policy issues.
Why it matters
- Two-thirds of Harrisburg students live in Sioux Falls, which means the district impacts thousands of local kids. It's also a fast-growing district in the state – adding more than 2,200 kids in the last decade.
- Additionally, at least one of the two open seats will be filled by a new face. Longtime board member Linda Kirchhevel is not seeking re-election after four terms on the board.
- This guide aims to help connect you with the candidates and help you feel empowered ahead of election day. If you live in Sioux Falls, you can also find comprehensive coverage of the mayoral and City Council races here:
Megan Raposa
Meet the candidates
Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
Mike Knudson
Knudson, 46, is a commercial real estate broker who has served on the Harrisburg School Board since 2014.
He said he wanted to run again for several reasons, but ultimately because, "we have a good thing going."
- Knudson also noted his youngest son is a sixth grader at North Middle School and his wife spent 14 years teaching in Harrisburg schools, so he's been connected to the district for some time.
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Jordan Twedt
Twedt, 29, is a structural engineer. He decided to run for school board after getting involved with the district as a volunteer with Junior Achievement and after becoming connected to the Harrisburg Education Foundation.
- Twedt also has a daughter who's excited to start as a kindergartener in the fall.
Tara Young
Young, 45, has a background in marketing and has been actively involved in the Harrisburg School District as a mother of four.
- She's volunteered for the last 10 years with the elementary PTO and the middle school PAWS parent-teacher group. She also serves on the Tiger Nation booster club.
- She also noted that her dad was on the school board when she was in high school, and she's long had the desire to serve – especially knowing that the board directly impacts her kids' future.
Now, let's talk policy.
Each candidate was asked the same slate of questions. Here's how they responded (switching up whose answer is first to keep it as fair as possible.)
One of the recurring themes in Harrisburg over the years is growth. With continued development within the district, how will you approach decisions about new facilities – specifically a second high school?
Knudson said that the student population has doubled since he first started on the board. While the growth is consistent, he also noted that it has leveled off a bit in the last couple of years meaning there probably won't be a need for new buildings at least in the immediate future.
"We’re in a little bit of a time period where we can breathe a little bit – where we can really focus on the basics like academics and making sure each school is equitable," he said.
Twedt said because the district is growing so fast and as spread out as it is, the board has to be intentional with where to build new facilities.
- He also said that before building a new elementary school, it might be worth redistricting to spread out students in buildings that are super full to buildings that are not as full.
As for a new high school:
"It comes down to when we need it ... when we need it, that's when we'll really dive into what that looks like," Twedt said.
Young said she's focused on doing what's best for the students, admitting that she has a lot to learn when it comes to decisions about facilities. She also noted that as infrastructure expands – particularly sewer – more folks will certainly be moving into the district.
"There's going to be growth – you can't stop that," she said.
- She also noted that any decisions about a second high school are probably at least a few years out.
With new facilities and growth often comes the need for redrawing boundaries – how will you communicate with residents/students/families and seek their feedback in any future redistricting processes?
Twedt said no one likes going through redistricting, but he'd like to try to keep the impact on students as minimal as possible. He also plans to provide opportunities for public comment, whether through surveys, in-person events or some kind of hotline folks can call.
- He also said he'd like to look at the city's growth plans to ensure new boundaries can last as long as possible without needing to be redrawn.
Young said the district has done a great job of handling redistricting in the past. She noted specifically the importance of transparency as a board and explaining why decisions are being made.
"When people have an idea and understand where the decision came from ... I think the more they know, the more they're open to change," Young said.
Knudson said redrawing boundaries is "kinda the worst" because nobody likes having their child move around. But, the big picture is that some schools have lower enrollment and others are "packed to the gills."
- He said he'd like to see the district essentially do what it has in the past with public meetings, managing growth and trying to make it a win-win as much as possible.
Two-thirds of Harrisburg students live in Sioux Falls – how will you approach maintaining the small-town feel and culture of the district while also serving an increasingly urban area?
Young said the culture of Harrisburg is something she loves about the district, and the small-town attributes help the district feel unified – especially things like the homecoming parade and celebrating high school seniors.
"And as long as we're still Tigers, that just makes it easier," she said.
Knudson said a huge part of it is that the entire district shares the same Tiger mascot. There's also a lot of community buzz around things like football games and the homecoming parade that feels very small-town.
"We're all one – whether you're in Sioux Falls, whether you're in Harrisburg proper – you're a Harrisburg Tiger," he said.
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Twedt said most of the small-town feel and culture of Harrisburg schools comes from its staff, as well as how the district builds and manages its facilities. But as Sioux Falls continues to grow further south, he said:
"It's a dynamic that's going to test us a little bit."
How do you think the Harrisburg district is doing in shaping the future workforce needs? What, if anything, would you do differently?
Knudson said the district does an outstanding job at preparing kids for the workforce and at being innovators – particularly in the wide range of programs available for high schoolers.
"There's so many programs," he said. "We do such a good job of looking out for our students and trying to help them find a job – whether they want to be an electrician or go to law school or go on to be a doctor or be a plumber. We have such a wide variety of options."
Twedt said the district is doing a really good job of preparing students through the CTE (career and technical education) classes and with a senior project requiring students to go out into the community.
"I think there's certainly opportunity to grow those programs and reinforce that workforce education – whether that’s collaborating with businesses in our community to bring in more expertise and take more time to do that," he said.
Young said the number of options for students is another reason why she loves the district.
"I love all the opportunities for pathways of learning for our kiddos," she said. "Even at the elementary level with personalized learning, (continuing) all the way through high school where you can focus on college courses or CTE courses."
There’s increasing discussion at the state level about lowering, or, depending on which gubernatorial candidate you talk to, even eliminating property taxes. Do you support those efforts? And – as a school board member, how would you show up in these conversations to ensure schools get the funding they need?
Twedt said he's "not a huge fan of those conversations," particularly because property taxes are how the state funds schools. That said, it's important for the district to be efficient with those tax dollars.
"My priority is really to ensure that, while we are as fiscally efficient as possible, it can't come at the expense of student support, classroom resources and educator success."
Young said this is another area where she'd have a lot to learn, and she would like to gain input from others.
"I think just being informed, educated, objective and knowing the repercussions of any decision," she said.
Knudson said it's not a "reasonable statement" to say you're getting rid of property taxes without any plan to make up for that funding. He also noted the district already isn't getting enough funding from the state, so how would they be expected to run with even less? He said no one likes paying taxes, but they're necessary.
"I think that's unrealistic," he said of proposals to eliminate property tax. "Yeah, it might sound good, but if somebody thought about it – how would that work?"
Anything else you want voters to know about you ahead of the June 2 election?
Young said she's really proud of what the school board has accomplished and their strong leadership.
"My goal is to build on that momentum and continue moving our district forward," she said.
Knudson said he's enjoyed his 12 years on the board so far and has seen the board do great things – specifically establishing the Harrisburg School District Education Foundation. He's also had personal family connections to the district with his wife, who worked there for 14 years, his older son, who graduated in 2023 and his younger son who's a middle schooler.
"Education has just been really central to my family, and I remain committed to doing good things for the Harrisburg School District," Knudson said.
Twedt said his core values are faith, integrity and growth, and he hopes voters give him a chance to show that.
"I think I, myself, and some of my technical skillsets from an engineer's perspective can be a big benefit to the district," he said.
