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Sioux Falls School District opens applications for 30-member facilities task force
Summary
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 launched a public application for a 30-member facilities task force to review growth projections, prioritize facility needs (including a recommended Whittier replacement) and present fiscally responsible recommendations ahead of a potential April 2027 bond.
A district staff member announced the opening of the application window Jan. 26 for a 30-member Sioux Falls School District 49-5 facilities task force, charged with reviewing city growth and district projections, prioritizing current and future facility needs and presenting recommendations to the school board.
The presenter said the 2018 task force left four major recommendations, including replacing Whittier Middle School within about a 10-year horizon; the district is now approaching that timeline and is asking the new task force to examine where replacement or renovation should occur. "When our community is involved, good things happen," the staff member said while inviting residents across the district to apply.
Applicants must live within the Sioux Falls School District; the district aims for geographic and experiential diversity across the 30 seats, organized into three small groups with chairs and three co-chairs overall. Key dates the district provided: the application window opens Jan. 26 and closes Feb. 13 at 11:59 p.m.; a review period runs Feb. 16–27; applicants will be notified March 2–6. The Donovan Group, retained as an external facilitator, will guide the task force and compile its August report to the board.
District officials said the task force will review the district's capital improvement plan (CIP) list, analyze enrollment and demographic trends, and present solutions that meet two criteria: alignment with the district's mission and with fiscal responsibility. Meetings are planned as four Wednesday sessions in April and May, with a possible wrap-up meeting in mid-May and a follow-up in December 2026 before a final board recommendation in January 2027. District staff emphasized that the task force meetings will be held in the boardroom and are open for the public to observe.
If adopted by the board and recommended by the task force, officials said a bond election could be prepared for April 2027; that timetable depends on the task force’s final recommendations and subsequent board decisions. The district also said it will follow up with surveys and student engagement, and will hold community listening sessions in the fall to gather broader input before the board acts.
