Michael Birkeland has been a student and a teacher at Central High School. Now he’d like to be a school board member.

By Kiran Kelly

Former Central math teacher Michael Birkeland is running for Rapid City’s school board in Area 3 in the upcoming June 7th election. Birkeland recently collected enough signatures to be placed on the ballot; schools in his area include Canyon Lake, Meadowbrook, and Southwest.

Mr. Birkeland was a favorite teacher for many, and while he was initially worried about eligibility for the election since he is a former teacher, those concerns were addressed and there are many people excited about his running. He encourages people to register to vote no matter their area.

Mr. Birkeland is running independent of political party. Something he enjoyed about public education was all the people he met. “I got to interact with people I wouldn’t have interacted with had I picked a different job,” he said. Another plus side is that public schooling is available to everyone. Mr. Birkeland’s big idea is that “Kids need a teacher and kids need a school.”

Early voting begins April 22nd with the election being June 7th. First-time voters must register to vote by May 23rd and can register as long as they are 18 before the election.