District staff presented analysis at a Sioux Falls School District 49-5 work session about whether to close Renberg Elementary, recommending the board consider a formal vote in the first semester of the 2627 school year and, if approved, to time any closure for the 2728 school year.

Doctor Nold and Mr. Conrad told the board the review combined staff input, two parent listening sessions and city planning projections. Conrad said Renberg currently enrolls about 106 students; roughly 84 live inside Renberg’s home attendance center, 12 are open‑enrolled from outside the district and 10 are open‑enrolled from elsewhere in the district. He said about 77 students who live in Renberg’s attendance area currently attend other Sioux Falls schools.

The administration highlighted tradeoffs. Benefits of closure could include larger specialty classes at fewer schools and reduced district costs: staff estimated annual operating savings in the range of $500,000 to $700,000 and identified about $2,600,000 in capital work that could be postponed. The presentation also noted recurring building service calls this year have added roughly $50,000 to facility costs. Officials called the savings estimates conservative.

Administrators underscored the countervailing concerns: Renberg’s small, one‑section structure fosters a close community and a relatively high share of students receive special‑education services (administration estimated roughly 30–35 percent at Renberg versus about 16.6 percent districtwide). Parents and staff repeatedly urged the district to seek alternatives that would allow Renberg to remain open.

Conrad reviewed transportation and geography: excluding 10 outlier open‑enrolled students, an analysis of 96 students showed 79 travel more than 4.7 miles to Renberg; the average one‑way distance to Renberg was about 5.1 miles (mode about 5.5 miles). If those students attended closer schools such as Marcela Labeaux or Laura B. Anderson (LBA), the average one‑way distance would fall to about 3.1 miles (mode about 1.9 miles). The administration said affected areas would continue to receive district busing unless families chose to open‑enroll elsewhere.

City planning data presented to the district showed limited near‑term residential growth immediately north of Renberg: the corridor east of I‑29 and north of I‑90 is largely zoned industrial and contains a floodplain the city does not plan to develop in its 2050 plan. District staff said most near‑term residential growth is projected to the west, where district land is slated for buildout and where a future elementary (Lenox area) could be considered as part of bond planning.

Faced with those facts, the administration recommended the board "vote on the proposed closure of the Renberg School in the first semester of the 2627 school year," while deferring any effective closure date to the 2728 school year and asking the board to consider the matter prior to Nov. 30 of the next school year. Administrators said the additional time would allow further boundary analysis, coordination with the city on updated growth projections and efforts to avoid moving families more than once.

Public comment drew five speakers who urged the board to keep Renberg open because of its community culture and perceived benefits for students. Tawna Moyt called Renberg "a second home, a safe place" for her child. Joshua Lamar described the small‑school environment as providing ‘‘one‑on‑one’’ attention and pointed to Renberg’s high proportion of students receiving special‑education services. Linda Nicks, a long‑time local resident, noted generational ties to the school and welcomed the district’s decision not to close Renberg at the end of the current year. Other parents echoed those themes and questioned whether closure would truly save the district money once long‑term impacts and program placements are factored in.

No formal board vote on closure occurred at the work session. Doctor Nold said the district will continue to analyze enrollment, boundary options, capital needs and transportation, and will return to the board with updated information before the Nov. 30, 2026 timeline he cited. The meeting adjourned after public comment and brief board discussion.