Flandreau graduate Don Kirkegaard has been named Secretary of Education, a position he will start Jan. 1.
Kirkegaard, 59, graduated from Flandreau High School in 1976 and earned a bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State University. He also earned his master’s degree at Northern State University and his specialist’s degree from the University of South Dakota.
The Trent native is superintendent of the Meade County School district, a job he has had since 2011, and is president of the South Dakota Board of Education Standards, positions he will resign from to become secretary under appointment by Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
“Don Kirkegaard is a leader in education in South Dakota, and I thank him for taking on this role,” Daugaard said in a release.
Kirkegaard has been a social studies teacher and principal in Bristol and principal and superintendent in Britton.
“I have more than 30 years in K-12 education, and I will try to use my practitioner perspective as South Dakota continues to move education forward,” Kirkegaard said.
He and his wife, Lois, have two grown children. He succeeds Melody Schopp who is retiring effective Dec. 15.
