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Sioux Falls School District reports 134 teachers hired for fall 2025; district seeks about 250 substitute teachers
Summary
At a board meeting, district staff presented a fall 2025 staffing update showing 134 teachers hired, one classroom position still open, 103 resignations since last year, and about 105 support-staff hires with roughly 90 vacancies remaining; the district said it needs roughly 250 substitute teachers by late fall and described recruitment programs.
District staff presented a fall 2025 staffing update to the Sioux Falls School District 49-5 Board of Education, reporting 134 teacher hires so far for the upcoming year and continued recruitment needs for support staff and substitutes.
The presenter said the district began the review with 130 hires when the slide deck was prepared and had increased that to 134 by the time of the meeting. The district reported that prior years averaged about 156 new teachers, that roughly half of this year's teacher hires are new to the profession, that the cohort's average experience is about 4.7 years, and that slightly more than one-third hold master's degrees. The presenter said 56 employees who worked in non-teaching roles last year are moving into classroom teaching positions this year.
Geographic and hiring details given included that 21% of new teachers came from other states (Nebraska supplied eight hires), 24 hires came from within one hour of Sioux Falls (the highest in several years), and the district currently has one classroom position still open. The presenter reported 103 resignations between the 2024-25 school year and the start of 2025, and said the district has hired about 105 support staff (education support professionals, clerical, child nutrition, custodial, specialists, coaches) with about 90 support vacancies remaining.
The presenter urged substitute recruitment, saying the district aims to have about 250 substitute teachers in place and trained by late fall. The report outlined recruitment strategies the district said have helped fill positions, including: a "learn-and-earn" student-teacher/substitute approach, partnerships with the University of South Dakota and Dakota State University to certify special-education teachers, alternative-certification hires (20 teachers, about 16% of hires), hiring incentives for student teachers in shortage areas, smaller orientation sessions for new hires, technology onboarding with ITS, certification help sessions, and early school-safety training.
A board member praised the district's internal recruitment pipeline, noting roughly 44% of new hires came from within the district's existing workforce, and said, "That's what I'm hearing...that's really remarkable," while congratulating HR staff. The board moved and approved a motion to acknowledge the staffing report; the motion carried.
Clarifying details: the presenter said the district's candidate pool averages eight years of teaching experience, the contract acceptance rate for offers was about 87%, and the district welcomed 20 alternatively certified teachers (16% of hires). The presenter said a plan exists for the single remaining open classroom position if a direct hire is not found. No specific dollar figures for recruitment incentives or estimated costs for substitute training were provided in the presentation.
