Sioux Falls School District closes Tuesday due to unsafe travel conditions, heavy snowfall

Morgan Matzen, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
Updated ·1 min read
The Sioux Falls School District logo as displayed at the district's central office, the Instructional Planning Center, on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023.

Officials with the Sioux Falls School District decided at 5:55 a.m. Tuesday students would not have school for the day since residential streets hadn't been cleared of snow, making travel unsafe for students and staff.

A call to all families and staff in the district went out at about 6 a.m. to inform them school would be closed.

District community relations coordinator DeeAnn Konrad said the district doesn't have a set time it makes decisions, and that the existing weather, forecast and progress by city plows all factor into the decision.

"We make decisions as soon as reasonably possible," Konrad said.

Initially, the district announced around 5:15 p.m. Monday that it would start school two hours late Tuesday.

The city received 10.5 inches of snow Monday as a large winter storm moved through the area starting on Sunday night, a record-breaking amount for daily snowfall, according to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls. The late start was meant to give street crews and school custodian teams a little extra time to get things opened up, according to the first announcement.

More: Sioux Falls under snow alert, plowing begins early Tuesday morning

The district had closed school Monday due to the winter storm but kept offices open.

Other school districts:

The following schools and districts in the Sioux Falls area also closed on Tuesday:

  • Abiding Savior Academy

  • Baltic School District

  • Bishop O'Gorman Catholic Schools

  • Brandon Valley School District

  • Canton School District

  • Dell Rapids School District

  • Dell Rapids-St. Mary's School

  • Garretson School District

  • Harrisburg School District

  • Lennox School District

  • Sioux Falls Christian Schools

  • Sioux Falls Lutheran School

  • Tea Area School District

  • Teachwell Academy

  • Tri-Valley School District

  • West Central School District

  • Westside Christian School

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls School District closes Tuesday due to unsafe travel conditions, heavy snowfall