Meade Superintendent Don Kirkegaard was appointed to serve as South Dakota Secretary of Education by Gov. Dennis Daugaard recently.

 

Kirkegaard will begin serving as Secretary of Education on Jan. 1, 2018; succeeding current Secretary Melody Schopp, who is retiring on December 15.

 

“We’re very happy for Don and look forward to working with him in his new role,” ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany said.

 

“Secretary Schopp has done a superb job in the role of Secretary and we’ve developed a great working relationship with her and the department, which we know will continue with Don at the helm.”

 

Kirkegaard has spent more than 30 years in K-12 education as a teacher, principal and superintendent, as well as a member and Chair of the State Board of Education Standards.

 

“Don Kirkegaard is a leader in education in South Dakota, and I thank him for taking on this role,” Gov. Daugaard said in a statement.

 

“With his years as a school administrator, and his service on the State Board of Education Standards, he will be an able leader for the state department.”

 

Kirkegaard stated his goal as Secretary of Education is to continue to offer a wide variety of opportunities for all students in the state.

 

“Don’s a smart, experienced educator with great knowledge of how the department operates,” Pogany said. “He will undoubtedly carry on the good work Secretary Schopp and DOE have done already.”