Education – Seal SD

🎓 Restoring Education to the States: A Decisive Plan for South Dakota

🎯 The Mission: Restore Control to Families

Education is the bedrock of a strong and prosperous society. Parents — not politicians or distant bureaucrats — know what is best for their children.

SEAL SD is committed to returning full control of education to families and local communities. Our goal is to build an education system that reflects South Dakota values: responsibility, independence, and opportunity for every child.

📜 The Problem with Federal Overreach

For too long, Washington bureaucrats and powerful teachers’ unions have influenced our local schools.

Standardized agendas that do not reflect South Dakota values.
Funding tied to compliance instead of results.
Bureaucracy that stifles innovation and parent involvement.

We must break free from this model.

✅ Our Plan: Accountability and Local Control

We believe in an education system that prioritizes:

🎯 Performance-Based Funding
Allocating resources where they actually make a difference.
📊 Transparent Scorecards
Publishing school performance data — clear, honest, and regular.
👨‍👩‍👧 Parental Choice
Empowering families to choose what’s best for their child’s education.
🗳️ Local Oversight
Citizen-led boards that provide real community accountability.

By focusing on these principles, we can ensure that every dollar spent translates into real student success

📚 Education: The Cornerstone of Our Future

Education is the bedrock of any great civilization.
It’s how we pass down wisdom, build strong communities, and secure our future.

Yet in South Dakota, we’re investing millions… and half our students are still falling behind.

In Rapid City alone, the school district allocates $170 million annually, yet only 51% of students are proficient in core subjects.
This isn’t just a funding issue — it’s a call for accountability.

✅ Our Plan: Accountability and Local Control

We believe in an education system that prioritizes:

🎯 Performance-Based Funding
Allocating resources where they actually make a difference.
📊 Transparent Scorecards
Publishing school performance data — clear, honest, and regular.
👨‍👩‍👧 Parental Choice
Empowering families to choose what’s best for their child’s education.
🗳️ Local Oversight
Citizen-led boards that provide real community accountability.

By focusing on these principles, we can ensure that every dollar spent translates into real student success.

🎯 Tough Talk: Would You Keep Paying for Failure?

If a private tutor charged $16,000… and half the kids still failed — would you keep paying them?

Because that’s exactly what’s happening in many South Dakota school districts right now.

Millions spent.

Results? Less than 55% proficiency.

No accountability. No performance targets. No change.

It’s not about spending more — it’s about expecting results.
Accountability in education isn’t harsh. It’s overdue.

📊 Visual Insights

To help illustrate the urgency — and the solution — here are three powerful visuals from our campaign:

📉 1. School Spending vs. Proficiency

A side-by-side breakdown of Custer County and Rapid City schools.
Millions spent. Same results.
It’s not about the money — it’s about the system.

📋 2. The Accountability Plan

A five-step action blueprint to fix education —
without raising taxes.

🧱 3. Education: The Cornerstone

A bold reminder of the foundational role education plays in every strong society.

🔗 Learn More. Join the Movement.

Together, we can restore local control, demand results, and protect the next generation.
This is about our children, our communities, and our state’s future.

👉 Visit SealSD.com/Education
👉 Explore the Full Plan
👉 #KeepYourHome

Let me know if you want a version with embedded <img> tags ready for HTML block view, or just drop the actual image file names here and I’ll match them up.

“We must prioritize an education system that fosters personal responsibility, academic achievement, and community accountability.”

🔍 Our Commitment

As your governor, I will:

Support legislation that empowers parents and local school boards.
End mandates that push divisive curricula.
Champion funding that follows the student, not the system.
Ensure transparency in school budgets and performance.

We must make sure that education serves our families, not bureaucracies or political agendas.

📂 Related Resources

📣 Call to Action

Together, we restore education to our communities. Together, we take back our schools and our future.

📞 Call/Text: 605-891-1414
🌐 Visit: sealSD.com
📱 FB: @SealSD26
📺 YouTube: @SealSD

SEAL SD stands for families, freedom, and the future of South Dakota’s children.

Notes:

📊 Rapid City Area Schools: Budget vs. Academic Performance

💰 2023–2024 Budget Overview

Total Budget: Approximately $170 million
Student Enrollment: ~13,000 students
Per-Student Spending: ~$13,077

Source: RCAS Fiscal OperationsRapid City Area Schools

📚 Academic Performance (2022–2023)

ACT Composite Score: 19.2 (below national average of 20.6)
Proficiency Rates:
- English Language Arts: ~54%
- Math: ~51%
- Science: ~53%

Source: SD Department of Education Report CardSD Department of Education+4SD Department of Education+4SD Department of Education+4

🧾 Budget Allocation Highlights

Instructional Services: ~$100 million
Support Services: ~$50 million
Administration: ~$10 million
Other Expenditures: ~$10 millionNational Education Association | NEA+10Rapid City Area Schools+10SD Department of Education+10 SD Department of Education

Source: RCAS Budget DocumentsRapid City Area Schools+3Rapid City Area Schools+3Rapid City Area Schools+3

⚖️ Analysis

Despite substantial investment in education, with per-student spending exceeding $13,000, academic proficiency rates hover just above 50%. This indicates a potential disconnect between financial inputs and educational outcomes, suggesting the need for a thorough evaluation of resource allocation and instructional strategies.