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Sioux Falls district, libraries and Augustana expand 'Everybody Reads' campaign with 350,000-book goal
Summary
Sioux Falls School District partnered with Siouxland Libraries and Augustana University to expand its Everybody Reads month in March, aiming for 350,000 books read and a $1,700 donation to Reach Literacy when the goal is met; the district also announced five Teacher of the Year finalists.
Sioux Falls School District officials on Monday described an expanded community reading initiative, Everybody Reads, that will run through March and aims to log 350,000 books across the city.
The program, coordinated by district staff and partnered with Siouxland Libraries and Augustana University, will feature library displays representing each book read and encourage residents to report reads to a community-wide count. Diane (district staff member) told the board the campaign will run the entire month of March this year and that “we are increasing our goal to 350,000 total books read.”
The district said the program, now in its fourth year, will again include a charitable component: if the community meets the reading goal, corporate donors will enable a $1,700 contribution to Reach Literacy. The district also invited people unable to attend the in-person celebration to watch online via the district website or Facebook Live.
The district used the announcement to highlight teacher recognition. Diane said 83 teachers were nominated for Teacher of the Year 2025 and judges selected five finalists: Jennifer Arts (Horace Mann Elementary), Scott Amundson (Lincoln High School), Brian Aukerman (Washington High School), Jessica Foley (Terry Redlin Elementary) and Bruce Rechstad (Washington High School). The district said it would announce the winner after a ceremony at Ben Reifel Middle School at 7 p.m.
Joel Johnson, provost at Augustana University, said the university joined to support literacy and engage students as volunteers and mentors in K–12 classrooms. “We love to help people learn, to become self sufficient learners who are curious, who have a love of learning,” Johnson said.
District staff described the program as timed to coincide with Read Across America week and other literacy events in March. Libraries will create building-specific displays (described by staff as including “small candy and gumball decorations for each book that a person reads”), and Augustana’s Mickelson Library will contribute displays and encourage student participation.
Organizers asked community members and schoolboard members to participate by checking out books, reporting them to library staff for the count and attending related events. The district said social media and the district website will stream and publicize activities and the Teacher of the Year announcement.
The board did not vote on any policy changes related to the initiative during the meeting.
