Marc Murren, Gail Swenson elected to Sioux Falls school board
Marc Murren and Gail Swenson were both elected to two-year terms on the Sioux Falls School District Board of Education in Tuesday's joint city and school board election.
Murren took 24.03% (4,993 votes) of the vote, and Swenson took 23.67% (4,919) of the vote. Competitors Bobbie Tibbetts, Pat Starr and Stuart Willett lost with 18.13% (3,768), 11.88% (2,468) and 9.89% (2,054) of the vote, respectively.
Swenson said she’s overwhelmed and excited with the results, and she looks forward to working on projects like the future of Whittier Middle School, working with the Boys & Girls Club and developments at Southeast Technical College once she's official.
“I still am quite overwhelmed by the fact that people would open their checkbooks, reach into their pockets and donate to your cause because they have faith in you and trust that you’re going to do what you say you want to do,” Swenson said. “The district has some incredible things coming forward… (it’s) forward-thinking, and exciting to be part of that.”
Murren and Swenson will take office July 8 and serve until July 2026. Murren, the incumbent in the race, said he’s excited to get to work on the issues he discussed throughout his campaign, like an emphasis on literacy and reading for children in kindergarten through third grade, attendance and growth.
“I’m excited about it and thankful for the people who supported me and gave me another chance,” Murren said. “I appreciate the support. It’s rewarding that people put that kind of faith in you, and that really means a lot to me.”
Only 7.7% (11,499) of Sioux Falls’ 149,267 registered voters turned out for this election, compared to 6.16% in the 2023 election that saw Dawn Marie Johnson elected, and 5.13% in the 2021 election that saw Murren elected and Kate Serenbetz reelected. The school board election was canceled in 2022 when no candidates came forward, leaving board member Nan Baker and board president Carly Reiter secure in their seats for another term.
If they decide to, Tibbetts, Starr and Willett will have a chance to run again in the 2025 election, which will consist of two three-year terms as Reiter and Baker will see their terms end June 30, 2025.
All of the candidates could also run again in the 2026 election, which will consist of three four-year terms when Murren's, Swenson's and Johnson’s terms expire June 2026.
After that, all subsequent elections beginning in 2028 will be for four-year terms, and alternate between having two or three seats up for grabs every two years.
These changes are part of the 2023 Legislature’s decision to pass House Bill 1123, which allowed school boards to increase terms from three to four years, so they could combine elections with other local governments, like city and county elections.
Tibbetts wasn't immediately available for comment on Tuesday night.
Starr said he's looking forward to spending more time with his family and having more "Taco Tuesdays" at his house, as his term ends on the city council, too. He said he plans to run again and remain active and involved in the community.
"I'm very grateful and honored to have served them," Starr said of the voters who endorsed him Tuesday. "We live in a democracy. I wish we could've done something to improve voter turnout and get more people to (vote)."
Willett said he enjoyed every minute of his campaign, meeting new people and working with "interesting" organizations. He said he's not planning to run again, but will get involved with more home school co-ops.
On Wednesday, election officials will review and make determinations on any provisional ballots cast. The election results will be canvassed in the board’s April 22 meeting.
Murren and Swenson will file elected official financial interest statements by April 25. A post-election campaign finance report is due from each candidate by May 22.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Marc Murren, Gail Swenson elected to Sioux Falls school board
