Hello Mt. Vernon School District. My name is Mike Deinert. I grew up in Mt Vernon and graduated from Mt Vernon High School in 2000. I went on to graduate from South Dakota State University in 2004 with my Bachelor’s of Science degree in agronomy, returning back to Mt Vernon to pursue my passion to farm. I have been married to my wife, Courtney, for 12 years and we have 3 children, Hattie, Nora, and Walter. I currently farm with my dad and brother where we raise cattle, corn, beans, and alfalfa. I serve as the president of Salem Lutheran church here in Mt. Vernon, and also serve on the Elevator board holding the position of secretary. To say I’m proud that my children will be fourth generation Deinert graduates of Mt Vernon is an understatement.
I am looking to serve on the Mt. Vernon School Board as I feel it’s my role to be active in my children’s education. One area I would like to explore if I am elected includes a four-day school week with the fifth day being optional, allowing more one to one interaction with students who may need additional help on certain subjects. I would also like to explore the idea of condensing the school calendar and starting school around Labor Day. Lastly, given our agricultural-based community I would like to explore incorporating local meat into the school lunch program. Area schools have worked with local hog and cattle producers to supply meat directly to the districts, and what a great learning tool for students to learn where their lunches come from and how they are produced, while giving them nutritious, locally raised meat.
I believe our districts greatest strength is the quality education our kids receive. Our class sizes accommodate kids of all learning abilities. At the present time, we have kids open enrolling to Mt. Vernon because of the education they can receive here, and my goal is to build upon our solid reputation. Winning the CBH academic festival and kids winning awards at the state art festival are great examples of the core strength of academics at Mt. Vernon school that I feel should be expected to be achieved year over year.
Some challenges I see for our district is funding and consolidation. This is a topic of school boards every year and previous school board members have done an excellent job at taking steps to ensure our district provides the most optimal education to its students. I would like to build on their accomplishments, and I will explore all opportunities so as to ensure Mt. Vernon School will be alive and well for the next generation of kids. We also face the ongoing pressures of our country’s political and economic divide that will creep down to our local school even here in Mt. Vernon South Dakota, and many challenges and demands will arise from these differences. If I am elected to the school board, my first priority will always be to openly listen to and discuss these issues and take them head on. I think of myself as a fair person, and any decisions I am asked to make will ultimately have the best interests of the kids’ education and of the school districts future policies in mind.
My vision for Mt. Vernon is to build on the status quo that is Mt. Vernon School. When I graduated high school and went to college, kids from other towns would tell me that they were constantly being compared to Mt. Vernon and how if they didn’t put in the extra work, they would never be able to compete with us in. The expectations we put on our school district to be the best does not go unnoticed by surrounding schools and I will work to keep it that way. From education to athletics to arts to helping mold all-around good young adults, Mt. Vernon will always be the best and I take great pride in the opportunity to keep it that way.
Thank you for the opportunity to run to become your next Mt. Vernon School Board member.
Mike Deinert