Watertown School Board candidates debate partner school plan (Audio)

May 31, 2023

Mike Tanner

WATERTOWN, S.D.–The Watertown Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate forum last night at D.D. Miller Auditorium.

It featured three candidates running for one opening on the Watertown School Board.

The board, earlier this month, defeated what was billed a “partner school plan,” which would have closed Roosevelt Elementary, and had kids in Pre-K thru first grade attend McKinley and Mellette, and students in grades two thru four attending Lincoln and Jefferson.

Candidate Roshal Rossman (pictured center) was asked about that now defeated plan….

Another candidate is Michelle Schutte (pictured right). She says the plan had a lot of opposition….

Lona Simon (pictured left) told the audience she was against the partner school plan from the get go…

All of the candidates agreed that teacher retention is an issue that needs to be looked at, so the Watertown School District can retain its best and brightest educators.

Election Day is June 20th.