Sioux Falls school board weighs boundary adjustments to Rosa Parks, Renberg campuses
There’s rapid growth on the west and east sides of Sioux Falls that could affect the future boundaries of several schools in the Sioux Falls School District.
That’s what school board officials worked to address in a work session Wednesday afternoon. Growth to the east impacts the boundaries at Rosa Parks Elementary School, and growth to the west impacts Renberg Elementary School.
The board also looked at boundary adjustments that could come in the 2025-2026 school year. Here’s what’s at stake.
More:Where are Sioux Falls-area schools set to grow in 2023? Here are the construction projects
What changes could come to eastern Sioux Falls?
Solutions discussed by the board and district administrators included shifting two parts of the Rosa Parks Elementary boundary to move students from there to Harvey Dunn or Anne Sullivan elementary schools, and moving a section of students from Cleveland Elementary to Susan B. Anthony Elementary.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of those potential boundary changes:
Students east of Highway 11 and south of 33rd go from Rosa Parks to Harvey Dunn
Students west of Highway 11 and south of 41st go from Rosa Parks to Harvey Dunn
Students in the bus area west of Cleveland Avenue go from Rosa Parks to Susan B. Anthony
Move the northern square of Rosa Parks (north of Arrowhead Parkway) to Anne Sullivan
This change would also make 35 students in the busing area west of Cleveland go from Ben Reifel Middle School to Patrick Henry Middle School, and move 44 others from Washington High School to Lincoln High School.
Twenty-two students in the northern square boundary of Rosa Parks Elementary School would also move from Ben Reifel to Whittier Middle School.
What's being considered on the western side?
The district is recommending that the board approve changing the boundary on the west side of town to move students who live in the southeast corner of the current Renberg boundary area to Hawthorne Elementary School.
Renberg is currently 22 students over capacity, and administrators discussed Wednesday this boundary change would bring in 74 new students to Hawthorne, which is 173 students under capacity.
Doug Morrison, senior director of assessment, technology and information for the district, discussed broadly in the meeting about how school enrollment in the core of the city is slightly decreasing as more people move from older to newer apartments, and as growth continues in the farther reaches of the city.
Previously:Sioux Falls School District sets budget guidelines that could mean up to 4% in cuts
What happens next?
Information will be sent to families about the tentative changes, and families are encouraged to provide feedback to the district and board through the district’s online “Let’s Talk” platform, at Feb. 13 and Feb. 27 board meetings, in emails to board members and at parent Q&A sessions.
The board will make a final vote on the changes at the Feb. 27 meeting.
Board members also reviewed the district’s early proposals for boundary changes that could occur in the 2025-2026 school year at Ben Reifel Middle School, the Spanish Immersion Program and the new elementary school that’s yet to open on the west side of town.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Renberg, Rosa Parks elementary schools could see boundary changes soon
