RCAS Board of Education Action on Superintendent Comments

RAPID CITY, SD (KOTA) – The Rapid City Area Schools Board of Education has released a response to comments made by School District Superintendent Nicole Swigart.

CONTEXT: RCAS Superintendent apologizes for reported comments on U.S. Department of Energy letter

The board apologizes for Swigart’s comments about Native American students and places the superintendent on 30-day leave.

Here is the Board’s response to the OCR resolution letter:

We contacted RCAS to ask if the vacation Superintendent Swigart must take was paid or unpaid, and if the vacation was paid, did taxpayers have to foot the bill? We received a response: “All we can say is what the statement says.”

Although we didn’t receive a clear answer from the district, Swigart shared her thoughts on the board’s decision.

“As someone who has dedicated his professional life to the betterment of our community and students in the Rapid City Area Schools District, I remain committed to doing everything in my power to make the district a place where everyone is welcomed and respected. Although I did not personally make many of the statements attributed to me in the Office of Civil Rights report, I accept the panel’s decision. I also recognize that such negative statements do not represent the views of the district or my own. My purpose in life is to serve others, and I will strive to heal the wounds this matter has caused while leading efforts to create an educational environment that best serves Native American students and their classmates,” Swigart stated.

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