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Sioux Falls School District previews summer reading, tutoring, camps and learning centers
Summary
District leaders outlined a broad summer program slate — libraries and reading prompts, targeted tutoring funded by Department of Education grants, Community Learning Center care and career camps — aimed at preventing learning loss and supporting families with activities, meals and services.
Officials with Sioux Falls School District 49-5 on a community forum outlined a package of summer programs intended to keep students academically and socially engaged while families manage work and childcare.
Liz Harbolt, coordinator of libraries, said sustaining literacy is a primary goal and suggested a simple daily routine: "you can read 20 minutes a day" to help prevent summer learning loss. She urged families to use both school and public libraries for programming and enrichment.
Rebecca Wimmer, head of CLC programs and community partnerships, described two Department of Education grants that fund targeted tutoring during the summer in specific elementary schools (Hayward, Hawthorne, Garfield, Laura B. Anderson, Terry Redlin and Annie Sullivan). Tutors typically meet students three to four times weekly with a focus on math and reading plus hands-on enrichment to make sessions engaging for students.
The district is also offering middle-school career-exploration camps at the CTE Academy and an online high-school summer-school program for current ninth through 11th graders who want to earn credits. Renee Oinas said courses are online with a required orientation and scheduled assessments at the CTA Academy.
The Community Learning Centers (CLC) will operate at 10 elementary sites over May 28–Aug. 19, with extended hours and middle-school programming at New McGovern and Empower campuses, officials said. Administrators emphasized coordination with counselors and community partners to maximize participation.
The district urged families to plan early: register for tutoring and summer school through counselors, get vaccines and physicals scheduled before the August rush, and check camp availability, which organizers said often fills quickly.
The forum closed with information on where to enroll: CTE camps at ctecamps.com, CLC enrollment through the CLC office, and Connections/other summer programs via middle school counseling offices or Infinite Campus.
