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Politics & Government

Rabenberg Seeks Sixth Term on School Board

He has been the board president since 1997.

There are no corner offices in the downtown St. Louis law practice where Keith Rabenberg works. That’s something that Rabenberg, as managing partner of the 90-year-old law firm, is particularly proud of.
 
“Our offices are work spaces; there’s nothing to see,” he said. That’s why Rabenberg meets clients—and reporters—in the conference room. The room is very corporate, very subdued, and very much like Rabenberg.

But don’t let his professional persona fool you; a subtle sense of humor belies his pin-striped suit. Rabenberg is a certified judge for the Kansas City Barbecue Society, a fact that he is quick to authenticate with a card he carries in his wallet. He judges local barbecue contests on the weekends.
 
For the most part, Rabenberg, 56, lives to work and works a lot as an intellectual property attorney and as president of the Brentwood Board of Education. A member of the school board since 1996, Rabenberg has been its president since 1997. He and his wife, Kathy, have lived in Brentwood since 1986.
 
He began serving on the board after being a homeowner for 10 years with two young children.

“The general belief was ‘I am now an adult,’” he said wryly. It was time to contribute to the community.
 
Rabenberg is seeking his sixth consecutive .

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“Every year there is something going on,” he said. Serving on the board fulfills a sense of responsibility and allows him “to pay attention to the issues and participate in some good decision-making."
 
“A large wash of the decisions we make are fairly repetitive,” said Rabenberg of his 15-year tenure. But sometimes an issue stands out, like hiring the school superintendent, Dr. Charles Penberthy.
 
Although the board collectively made the choice, it was Rabenberg’s most difficult decision, and he wanted to preface his answer.
 
“The whole construct of the school board is one employee, the superintendent,” said Rabenberg. “Having a good superintendent is very important. Hiring for that job is solely the decision of the board. That person makes a huge difference,” he said. “The superintendent is the leader. In our district, because of our small size, the superintendent has to be more involved, more hands-on. A jack-of-all trades.”
 
There are no administrative posts to fill this year, but there is a void so to speak. There are fewer revenue funds available to the school district. A flaw in state law cost the district $1 million, which will be repaid but over three years, property assessments are down and tax collections have dropped a few percentage points. Some financial belt tightening will be necessary, but Rabenberg is not particularly alarmed.

“I don’t think the financial environment is such that we need to eliminate anything,” he said. “We have some financial challenges but I don’t think they are dire.”
 
But he does caution diligence.

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“You start at the basic educational program and figure out how to continue doing those things as effectively as possible,” he said. “You keep instructional programs.”
 
When pressed for areas that he would consider trimming, Rabenberg cited maintenance. He would consider deferring some bigger-ticket jobs.

“Very few projects have to be done immediately,” he said. One issue that concerns him is the north end of . It is settling, and may need to regraded with a new entry built.
 
But all of the schools are old and upgrades will be needed.

“The newest building dates to the ‘50s and part of the oldest building dates back to the '20s,” he said. “We just decided to do a study and look at all our facilities and plan for the upcoming decades.”

Would the elementary schools merge? Probably not, said Rabenberg. “People are used to having their grade schools close in this community.”
 
Rabenberg wants to continue on the school board and feels he has the time and the experience.

“I understand the issues as they come and go," Rabenberg said. "I’ll participate in decisions that are in the best interest of the students. I am conscientious and will continue to be so.”

Keith Rabenberg
2323 St. Clair Avenue
 
PERSONAL: Age 56. Married to Kathy Rabenberg. They have two children: Michael*, 22, and Audrey, 19.
 
OCCUPATION: Intellectual property attorney for Senniger Powers, LLC.
 
EDUCATION: He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1975 from the University of South Dakota, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Rabenberg graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1988 with a law degree.
 
RELEVANT BACKGROUND: Rabenberg has been on Brentwood Board of Education since 1996, and been its president since 1997.  He has served as Brentwood’s representative on the governing council of St. Louis County Special School District. A member of the Brentwood Redevelopment Corporation, he has also served on the city’s TIF commission. Rabenberg was one of the organizers and is a member of the Board of the Brentwood Foundation, and was one of the initial organizers of its annual 5K Race to the Square, an event that is the foundation’s primary fundraiser.

Editor's note: This is the first article in a series of candidate profiles leading up to the April 5 election.

*Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Mr. Rabenberg's son.

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