Happy Friday! Megan here.

Weather check: Summer today, winter Sunday

This week, you'll learn about how the school district is looking to do some belt tightening (to the tune of about $3 million) as it plans next year's budget. You'll also meet a cool local skate shop that's expanding with new partnerships in a local elementary school and a "boardega." Plus, start planning ahead for Earth Day/Month with some upcoming city events and other Super Simplified Stories.

And now, news:

EDUCATION

What $3 million in budget cuts will mean for Sioux Falls schools

Simplified: The Sioux Falls School District is planning to cut $3 million and still run a deficit in the coming year, but soon-to-be Superintendent Jamie Nold said no one will lose their job as a result.

Why it matters

  • These budget cuts were years in the making, as Sioux Falls schools knew they'd have to eventually roll back some of the expenses added to the district budget with the help of federal pandemic relief funds. Those funds dried up last year, but the district opted to keep funding some of the ongoing expenses – extra school counselors, for example.
  • Though $3 million is a dramatic cut, many departments have been scaling back over the last several years. Some of these cuts are simply not filling open positions, and others are as nitty-gritty as asking teachers not to have their own lamps to save on power costs.
  • Outgoing Superintendent Jane Stavem noted the additional constraints of the state funding for education which saw a 1.25% increase this year – significantly lower than recent years which brought between 4% and 7% increases.
    • Since reworking the way schools are funded nearly a decade ago, the state has agreed to increase funding for schools either at the rate of inflation or at 3% annually, whichever is less. Funding this year falls short of that benchmark, violating state statute.
"We’re up against a lot with state things coming down, so everything is feeling like it’s under a microscope," Board Member Dawn Marie Johnson said. "But people have been doing their due diligence for years to make sure this (budget reduction) gets done properly."

So, what's getting cut?

COMMUNITY

This business is teaching kids perseverance through skating

Simplified: The Siouxer, an indoor skate park and shop on the west side of town, has been offering skateboarding lessons to kids for several years. But now, they're bringing those lessons to even more kids through a new partnership with Terry Redlin Elementary School.

Why it matters

  • The skateboarding community in Sioux Falls is having a moment in the last year, especially with the new Barb Iverson Skate Plaza – one of the largest skate parks in the nation – that opened last summer.
  • In addition to the partnership with Terry Redlin, the Siouxer last week also announced a new "board-ega" retail space adjacent to the outdoor skate plaza. It'll be a space for skaters to grab food, water, sunscreen and skate supplies without having to drive across town.
  • The Siouxer's classes started a few years ago as a way to introduce more girls to the historically male-dominated sport, said Laura Lutz, who owns the facility alongside her partner DJ Paronto. Now, they offer classes to all kids, and have even added a "Skater Tots" option for kids as young as 4.
  • Lutz hopes the new weekly skateboarding classes with elementary school kids will help even more students build confidence and find community.
"It's giving kids an outlet," she said. "It's also teaching perseverance and resilience. Falling down is good for you. Getting back up is good for you."

Tell me more about The Siouxer

TL;DR

Super Simplified Stories

  • How to celebrate Earth Month in Sioux Falls. The parks department has a couple of family-friendly festivals in April to help the community celebrate Earth Month and also enjoy local parks. Both events are free and open to the public.
    • The Earth Day Festival will take place 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 18 at Great Bear Recreation Park. You'll be able to do a self-guided scavenger hunt along the trails, decorate tote bags and get a grow kit to start a garden at home.
    • Then, the following weekend is the Urban Arbor Day Festival at Pasley Park. That event, which runs noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, will feature multiple vendors to support your tree-planting projects. You can also enjoy live music, the bookmobile from the library and a birdhouse-building activity.
  • And, while we're talking sustainability... The city is also hosting an expanded Big Sioux River Summit, now called the "Big Sioux Stewardship Summit" – which, for the first time this year will be a two-day event April 16 and 17. The first day will include bus tours to visit places like the water reclamation plant, a local dairy plant, Cherry Rock Gardens and more. Then, the second day of the summit will include speakers and breakout sessions on topics including regenerative agriculture, water resources and urban stewardship. Learn more about that event here.
  • Jacobson Plaza opening delayed, but lodge to open soon. Downtown's newest signature park is not quite ready to open as initially planned, city officials said. But, The Lodge at Jacobson Plaza, a restaurant & bar in the warming house, is scheduled to open April 30. The restaurant will be operated by Washington Pavilion Management, Inc., and the menu will include smash burgers, sandwiches, cocktails and Parlour Ice Cream.
    • As for the rest of the park, it's on track to be open in July after some construction delays, according to parks department spokesperson Brianna Rykhus.

THIS AND THAT

What I'm falling for this week:

ICYMI

More Simplified Stories

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Mayor Paul TenHaken told city and county officials Tuesday afternoon that, as his term as mayor comes to an end, it’s time to figure out a new governance structure – and, more importantly, a sustainable financial model – for The Link.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa
Stuff to do: March 26-April 2
Here’s a look at what’s happening this week.
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Why school board members want you to vote, call your reps
“I know that it can be easy to just not vote,” Board Member Dawn Marie Johnson said. “It’s easy to skip over those days and be like, ‘oh, oops, it was today,’ but this is the direct result of us not engaging in our voting system.”
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

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