By Em Powers and Jodi Schwan

From new schools and expansions to smaller improvements, schools across the Sioux Falls area are busy preparing to welcome students back to modernized spaces.

Here’s a look at what’s open and what’s in progress.

Baltic

This school year, a new high school wing will be available for students in Baltic.

It includes 18 classrooms, a life skills classroom, a FACS kitchen, a performing arts center, band and choir rooms, a gymnasium with running tracks, and administrative offices.

With the new addition, the building, which is designed for grades K-12, has room for 900 students. This school year begins with about 560 students.

“The current school was at full capacity and we had to accommodate the growth that the Baltic community is currently experiencing,” said Superintendent Eric Bass.

The community is especially excited about the new Performing Arts Center, the visual arts space and the additional gymnasium.

“We are extremely pleased with the progress of the addition and can’t wait for the new school year to begin,” Bass said, adding that at a recent open house, “the response was overwhelmingly positive.”

Harrisburg

After voters approved a $30 million bond issue, the Harrisburg School District has nearly completed construction of a new elementary school and renovation of South Middle School.

Liberty Elementary opens this week.

“Both projects were on a tight timeline, but we are on schedule,” said Superintendent Tim Graaf. “We had students and parents there … for orientation; we just need to finish up little things.”

The bond also covered the cost of the road, parking lots, playgrounds and new running tracks at South Middle School.

“The remodel at South included modernizing the cafeteria and building a performing arts center,” Graaf said. “South was the only middle school without a performing arts center. That portion will not open until the end of the calendar year.”

Graaf said Liberty Elementary and the upgrades at South Middle School position the school for years to come.

“Despite our growth, we are currently ahead,” said Graaf. “I don’t think we need to build in the next few years.”

Harrisburg regularly welcomes new students, and the district as a whole has 6,200 students in grades kindergarten through high school, Graaf said.

Lennox

Lennox students return to the middle and high schools with new additions. The kitchen and cafetorium have been remodeled to make room for two serving areas.

“The transformation of these areas went very well and was completed in time for the start of the new school year,” said Acting Superintendent Brian Field.

In addition, six tennis courts will be built south of the high school; completion is scheduled for this fall.

Other improvements are underway, including an additional gymnasium, a new weight room, two new locker rooms for the varsity team, a performing arts center with seating for up to 900, and a new lobby.

These will be completed before the start of the 2025-26 school year, Field said.

“The prefabricated assembly of the performing arts center and the additional gymnasium has also been completed.”

Sioux Falls

Construction activity in the Sioux Falls School District has not been as extensive as in other districts in the metropolitan area, but the summer has brought a number of improvements.

John Harris Elementary School underwent several construction projects over the summer, including renovations to two kindergarten classrooms and the library.

“The floors were getting old and we wanted to get rid of the (pit floors) there and make it more efficient,” said Jeff Kreiter,

At Horace Mann Elementary, the gymnasium received a new roof and the EIFS system was replaced with brick.

At Patrick Henry Middle School, “we renovated the library, classrooms and computer labs,” Kreiter said. “We still had some movable walls that they were using, and we were able to clean and dispose of them all.”

New playgrounds were built at Eugene Field and Lowell elementary schools.

Eight new tennis courts were built at Washington High School. New emergency radio systems for rescue workers were installed at several schools to improve safety.

Longer term, construction is underway on the new Marcella LeBeau Elementary in northwest Sioux Falls. It will be an 80,000-square-foot building similar to the Sonia Sotomayor and Susan B. Anthony schools.

“The gym and multipurpose area are enclosed, and they’re starting to work their way to the academic area,” Kreiter said. “They hope to be enclosed and working through before winter so we can move in in May or June of next year and start bringing in furniture for an August 2025 opening.”

Additionally, work is underway to expand George McGovern Middle School to include a Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire location, including a gymnasium.

“They’re just starting to put the first prefabricated parts in place for the gym,” Kreiter said, adding that “it should go pretty smoothly” because construction is taking place while school is in session. The plan is to have that space ready for occupancy next school year.

In addition, the school district is still working to purchase homes needed to rebuild Whittier Middle School. Planning has not yet begun, but the plan is to begin in 2026 and be ready for construction in 2028 and open in 2030.

tea

Tea Area High School will welcome back students as part of a renovation project that will double the size of the high school.

The municipality approved the renovation projects in the summer of 2022; the approval rate for a bond was 84 percent.

“The additional 7,400 square feet will create new space for the music room, choir room and black box theater,” said Superintendent Jennifer Lowery. “We plan to have part of it open by September, and the 1,200-seat performing arts and classroom addition will open in late spring.”

This $41 million project will provide a home for the growing Tea community, where annual student enrollment continues to grow at a steady 5 percent, Lowery said. Other additions include an expansion of the science wing and music classrooms, for a total of 26 additional classrooms.

“We’re bringing over 200 freshmen this fall, and the junior classes are much larger,” Lowery said. “This is also our first year participating in all AA sports.”

This fall, Tea Area High School will welcome 717 students, an increase of 200 students in three years, Lowery said.

Three Valley

The Tri-Valley School District, which includes the Crooks, Lyons and Colton areas, also has new buildings opening or under construction for students in grades K-12.

A new elementary school opened in Crooks last fall.

“We are opening a brand new high school next January that is still under construction,” said Superintendent Mike Lodmel. “The high school will meet the needs of our students and provide a modern learning environment.”

The new Tri-Valley school will feature classrooms, a shop/FFA area, more STEM opportunities, and an expanded library/media center.

“We are confident that this new space will help inspire our students to reach their full potential and prepare them for success in their future endeavors,” Lodmel said.

Tri-Valley students also have access to numerous athletic and extracurricular facilities, including a new performing arts center, Lodmel said.

The opening of the new high school is planned for the beginning of the second semester in January 2025.