On Monday, the Mitchell School Board accepted the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Joe Graves, who has been appointed by Governor Noem to be the new Education Department Secretary in South Dakota. After an executive session, the board voted to use a search firm to find Graves’ permanent replacement. Two search firms will be considered. The board itself will select an interim superintendent as soon as this week. Graves will continue to assist the district until the end of January. He had been delegating some of his responsibilities prior to his resignation. Graves, who has been superintendent in Mitchell since 2000, begins his new position in Pierre today.
Also at Monday’s Mitchell School Board meeting, the board approved the retirement of longtime Business Manager Steve Culhane and the hiring of his replacement, Theresa Kriese. Dr. Graves had previously approved the hiring of Kriese without opening the position to other candidates, sparking criticism from some Mitchell School Board members. The position was posted on several websites with Kriese emerging as the hire. She will begin her new position on July 1st.