Together, the community and the Sioux Falls School District are making a concerted effort to create a culture that respects individuality and differences among people.
About Us
Sioux Falls Public Schools are widely recognized for accomplishments in student achievement and innovative educational strategies. We serve a diverse population of nearly 24,000 students and we embrace the opportunity for all children to learn about the world’s cultures from the curriculum and through the shared experiences of their classmates.
The District includes 23 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, 4 traditional high schools, an alternative high school, a project-based learning academy, a career and technical education academy, one post-secondary technical institute, and all other district-owned facilities. Sioux Falls Public Schools offer a challenging and relevant curriculum with highly qualified and experienced staff. More than 67% of our 1,800+ teachers hold a master’s degree or have attained even higher levels of certification.
Sioux Falls Public Schools is proud to offer the following specialized elementary schools, including All-City Elementary which requires a parent/guardian volunteer commitment, Challenge Center for students in grades 2-5 who meet testing requirements, Eugene Field A+ School featuring Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence, Spanish Immersion at Sonia Sotomayor, Global Studies at Rosa Parks and a Dual Immersion Program at both Rosa Parks and Hayward Elementary. The District has all-day kindergarten at its 23 elementary sites and offers a full complement of early childhood and special education services. Junior Kindergarten classrooms are available at Susan B. Anthony, Harvey Dunn, and John F. Kennedy Elementary Schools. Learning Adventures Early Childhood Program is a fee-based program at John Harris, Discovery, Robert Frost and Sonia Sotomayor Elementary. The Elementary Immersion Center provides basic English instruction to preschool through fifth-grade children who do not yet know English. Immersion programs are also located in middle and high schools. As students gain English skills, they move from immersion classrooms to standard classrooms, with a variety of support services still available.
Students in Sioux Falls Public Schools consistently score above state and national averages on standardized exams with many students recognized as National Merit Scholars, Advanced Placement Scholars, and recipients of the Opportunity Scholarship from the state of South Dakota. The District also features gifted education, the National Honor Society, state and nationally recognized academic teams, as well as a host of state and nationally recognized co-curricular programs. In 2023, Sioux Falls was recognized for its commitment to music education with the Best Communities for Music Education (BCME) Award. This is an honor of which we are extremely proud.
Our teachers are working hard to embed the 21st-century skills of Problem Solving, Communicating, Collaborating, Analytical Thinking, Creativity and Innovation, and Finding and Evaluating Information into every lesson. Parents, businesses, and community leaders are closely involved in the schools through shared decision-making initiatives and councils, PTA, and the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation.
We value diversity in our community and in our schools. Our commitment to diversity allows the Sioux Falls School District to draw from an extensive pool of talent to create an outstanding working and learning environment. We are committed to staffing the schools of Sioux Falls with outstanding professionals who reflect the growing diversity of our community and our students.
Our Vision
It is the vision of the Sioux Falls School District to provide the opportunities and challenges for each student to succeed as a lifelong learner in a changing world. The District values a highly trained and committed workforce, continually evaluating and improving their own and student performance. The District recognizes its role as a key contributor to the social, civic, and economic foundation of this community. To achieve this vision, we must ignite the hearts and minds of our students, staff, families, the business community, and citizens.
Our Mission
To educate and prepare each student to succeed in a changing world.
District Priorities
Sioux Falls School District prides itself on educating and preparing each student to succeed in a changing world. Serving more than 24,000 students, the District must also contend with the challenge of meeting the unique needs of each student. In order to focus the District’s efforts and ensure positive student outcomes, Sioux Falls developed a Strategic Plan in 2016 that drives the day-to-day decisions and work of the Sioux Falls School District.
The Plan is a living document with ongoing initiatives and strategies to accomplish goals such as increasing attendance, boosting the high school graduation rate, providing a safe and welcoming work and learning environment for staff and students and seeking input from all stakeholders. A steady rise in enrollment (between 200-500 each year for several years) is prompting a community-wide discussion on the capacity for continued growth in the public schools.
24,500
Students enrolled