District Dialogue

The Sioux Falls School District has been honored with the Disability Inclusion Partner Award for creating a workplace that welcomes and supports employees who rely on accommodations to succeed. This recognition highlights our ongoing commitment to inclusion and equity, ensuring all staff can contribute their best to our students and community.

The award nomination came from the Ambassadors at Lifescape, who see the value of our efforts in fostering an accessible and supportive work environment.

Fun fact: A national survey shows that 92% of Americans view organizations that employ people with disabilities more favorably, and 87% prefer supporting those businesses. Together, we’re creating a culture of inclusion that makes a difference for everyone!

Jefferson High School’s Champ Baumgarten has been chosen as one of two students from South Dakota to participate in the United States Senate Youth Program this March in Washington, D.C. This prestigious program, established in 1962, offers an incredible opportunity for outstanding high school students interested in public service careers.

During the week-long experience, student delegates will hear from senators, cabinet members, and federal officials, as well as participate in meetings with the president and a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Champ will have the chance to witness public service at the highest level and gain valuable insights into our nation’s government.

Congratulations to Champ on this remarkable achievement!

District leaders take an active role in following education-related bills introduced during the SD Legislative Session. One bill SFSD will be following closely this session is HB 1020, which would establish Education Savings Accounts (ESA).

At tonight's meeting, the School Board passed a resolution opposing the proposal stating "WHEREAS the proposed Educations Savings Account (ESA) - for the 2025 legislative session - is simply a different title for a school voucher program:"

See the full resolution by clicking below.

You can watch the full discussion from tonight's meeting by clicking here:

All education-related bills are tracked and a position of “support, oppose, or neutral” is noted to guide lawmakers in their understanding of the impact a law may have on schools. Once the session gets underway, you can follow along at : https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/page/legislative-positions.

And, you can actively write to your district’s lawmakers in the House or Senate here: https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Contacts/undefined.

Find a more detailed statement on the importance of legislative support of education from Dr. Stavem here:

The Graduate Credit & Degree Advancement (GCDA) process in the Sioux Falls School District allows certified employees to pursue salary advancements by completing approved graduate-level courses or programs. A GCDA Pre-Approval Committee meets monthly to review all coursework and degree programs to ensure rigor and relevancy related to salary advancement.

The process involves two steps:

1. Staff Development oversees the GCDA Committee’s review of courses and master’s programs, and
2. Human Resources handles salary advancement applications.

Courses must be from an accredited institution, meet relevancy and rigorous standards, and can be reviewed before, during, or after enrollment. Programs must align with the employee’s job assignment or lead to additional certification. Employees are responsible for meeting all deadlines and submitting required documentation.

For more details, visit GCDA Guidelines or contact Velina.Onate-Nelson@k12.sd.us in Staff Development and Amira.Lawrence@k12/sd/us in HR.

We are pleased to announce that the Sioux Falls School District’s Community Learning Centers (CLC) Summer 2025 and 2025/26 School Year program enrollment begins on Thursday, Jan 16th for SFSD staff!

Since you are a current SFSD staff member, you are able to enroll during our priority enrollment period.

NEW offerings for the 2025/26 school year:

• After-school care will be provided at the soon-to-be opened elementary school, Marcella LeBeau, making this the 23rd elementary school that the CLC offers care at.
• Before school care will be offered at (3) additional locations: Anne Sullivan, Robert Frost and Terry Redlin, in addition to our current before school program held at RF Pettigrew.
• Only need care on SFSD No School Days, but not after or before school? We can help you with that! Click on the link below to learn more!

SFSD Staff Priority Enrollment Period: Thurs, Jan 16th through Wed, Jan 29th.

How to enroll: To find out more about HOW TO ENROLL, rates, summer locations, payment calendar, hours of operation, no school day care, etc., click on the following link: https://secure.smore.com/n/n1y2t0

Let us know if you have any questions – we are here to help!

Meet Alexis Wilcox, a Behavioral Facilitator at R.F. Pettigrew Elementary and our newest SFSD All Star!

Alexis was nominated by Krysandra Young, who shared how Alexis goes above and beyond to support students and teachers alike.

Since joining the Pettigrew family in October, Alexis has made an incredible impact by prioritizing student success every single day. Whether she's checking in on a student, collaborating with teachers, or stepping into classrooms to provide direct support, Alexis demonstrates her commitment to helping students make safe and wise choices.

Her positive attitude, willingness to help, and genuine care make her an invaluable part of the team.

Thank you, Alexis, for your dedication to creating a safe and supportive environment for everyone at Pettigrew Elementary!

SFSD and the Community Learning Centers invite you and your family to join us for the second Community Health & Wellness Fair happening on Thursday, January 16th, at JFK Elementary from 4:30-7 pm!

This FREE, family-friendly event brings together over 50 community vendors offering health resources, free vision, hearing, and health screenings, interactive activities for kids, and 30+ door prizes and giveaways. Berke’s BBQ Food Truck will be there too!

It’s a great opportunity to explore resources, connect with our community, and have some fun. We hope to see you there!

📍 JFK Elementary
🗓️ Wednesday, January 16th | 4:30–7 PM

Your work-life balance and general well-being are as important to us as the work you contribute. That's why we’re excited to offer your savings marketplace, your one-stop shop for exclusive and convenient savings on the products, services, and experiences you know and love.

It’s cost-free and easy to enroll. Just visit https://sf.savings.workingadvantage.com and begin saving today on items like:

• Electronics

• Appliances

• Theme Parks

• Hotels, Flights, & Cruises

• Movie Tickets

• Rental Cars

• Gift Cards

• Apparel

• Cars

• Flowers

• Fitness Memberships

• Groceries

• Special Events

• And More!

Watch the puck drop and the dachshunds dash on Saturday, February 8th, in one of the most exciting events of the year!

As an exclusive opportunity for SFSD staff, you can snag discounted tickets to this fan-favorite night. But don’t wait—lower bowl tickets are expected to sell out this week, and the discount offer ends on January 24th.

Purchase your discounted tickets here: https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/wdndtofeb8

Tickets will be sent to the email you use when you order tickets. If you have any questions, call Eric Oetken at 605-275-4625 or email him here.

RETIREMENT NOTIFICATION DEADLINE:

Teachers wishing to retire at the end of the 2024-25 school year must submit their letters of retirement by Monday, February 3rd.

The retirement letter (with signature) can be sent as an email attachment to Rachel Marshall, HR Benefits Specialist, at benefits.sfsd@k12.sd.us.

GRADUATE CREDIT/DEGREE ADVANCEMENT INTENT FORMS:

Teachers planning to advance to steps requiring the BA+24, Master’s Degree, or Master’s + 24 must submit INTENT FORMS by February 1st. This process is online through HR Records. The INTENT FORM is found in the Available Forms section.

Contact Amira Lawrence in Human Resources at (605) 367-4692 or amira.lawrence@k12.sd.us with Graduate Credit/Degree Advancement questions.

SHORTAGE AREA - EARLY RESIGNATION STIPENDS $500:

The District will provide a $500 bonus to any Teacher from an identified shortage area who is not eligible to receive or has not already received the District Retirement Benefit and/or Health Benefit, if the Teacher submits a resignation to the Human Resources Department by February 3rd.

Link to Resign: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfR0HFhrh4fHYC-S6flJL_lhn8yinerT6irPfSDZPKNU_hYKQ/viewform

The Sioux Falls School District is excited to offer an enhanced candidate portal on our career website, making the job application process more efficient and accessible than ever! With a streamlined, user-friendly design, this portal consolidates every step—from profile creation to job search and application tracking—into one place. Key features include:

• One-Stop Profile Management: Create and manage a single, consolidated profile to autofill application fields and update your information across multiple applications with ease.
• Effortless Job Search: Search for positions by title, location, and category, with an interactive map that updates job listings in real time, making it easy to find opportunities that suit your needs.
• Mobile Accessibility: Access the portal from any device, with full mobile support, plus help icons and a built-in chatbot for immediate assistance wherever you are.

If you have previously created an account on Applicant Tracking, you will not need to create a new account and your username and password will remain the same.

If you encounter any issues logging in, the Sioux Falls School District offers dedicated support. You can reach the support team by chatting online at this link, or by calling (866) 434-6276.

When calling, press 1 for support, stay on the line when asked for a case number then, when prompted, press 1 to create a new case. Say "talent" or press 7 for talent assistance when prompted, then press 8 for School Spring Job Boards, and press 1 to speak with a support representative.

Questions? Contact Kate Rovang at kate.rovang@k12.sd.us.

Ticket purchasing details coming soon!

All school personnel certified through the Department of Education, including teachers and administrators, are required to complete youth suicide awareness and prevention training as outlined in South Dakota Codified Law (SDCL) 13-42-71. This initiative supports the state’s commitment to addressing student mental health. According to the law, educators must complete an approved training program before beginning employment and at least once every five years thereafter.

Effective July 1, 2024, the South Dakota Department of Education transitioned the responsibility for tracking youth suicide awareness and prevention training from the Certification Office to the Office of Accreditation. Consequently, training records are no longer maintained by the state; it is now the responsibility of individual districts to track their certified educators.

To comply with this requirement, please complete the following steps:

1. Submit your training certificate by uploading it through this brief Google form.
2. Complete the required training (if not already done). A list of approved online training options is available at South Dakota Suicide Prevention Resources. The training takes approximately two hours.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Human Resources at (605) 367-7661.

SandCreek, our Employee Assistance Program, is free, confidential, and available to ALL Sioux Falls School District employees and their family members. As a part of their extensive list of offerings, SandCreek offers FREE monthly webinars that cover a variety of topics. Below are a couple upcoming ones!

To register for a SandCreek account, visit www.SandCreekEAP.com and click the “Sign Up” link just below the Log In button. Enter siouxfalls as your company code and complete the signup process! A confirmation email will be sent to complete the registration.

New for 2025! As of January 2025, SandCreek will be using the WebEx Platform for their webinars. Multi Language closed captioning will be available at that time!

In this seminar, participants will reflect on the challenges of the past few years and explore how adversity can fuel personal growth. We’ll dive into what it means to be mentally tough, how to find the positive in negative situations, manage ambiguity, and react with agility to change. Finally, we’ll explore the concept of “grit,” as defined by Dr. Angela Duckworth—passion and sustained persistence toward long-term goals. This essential skill is crucial for personal and professional success in today’s fast-paced world. Join us to strengthen your resilience and cultivate the grit needed to thrive!

Wednesday, February 12th, 2025 | 12:30pm to 1:30pm

Register Online!

U.S. OMNI & TSACG Compliance Services' (OMNI/TSACG) 2025 403(b) Meaningful Notice/Plan Information Brochure (MN) and Annual Retirement Benefits Guide (ARBG) are now available on your employer specific web page at: https://www.tsacg.com/individual/Plan-Sponsor/South-Dakota/Sioux-Falls-School-District-49-5. These materials may be downloaded and provided to your employees via email and/or an Intranet/Employee Portal posting.

Click HERE to view the full notice.

The Human Resources Department will be offering informational meetings on the District Retirement Incentive outlined in the SFEA Collective Bargaining Agreement via Zoom. This meeting is for Teachers (SFEA) only. Guests are welcome.

For those unable to attend, the meetings will be recorded and sent out via District Dialogue.

Join Zoom Meeting:

Friday, January 17th, 2025 | 4:15 pm to 5:00 pm

https://sdk12.zoom.us/j/2539207779

Thursday, January 23rd, 2025 | 4:15 pm to 5:00 pm

https://sdk12.zoom.us/j/2539207779

Start your year off right with Wondr - a digital weight-loss program offered by Sioux Falls School District at no cost to you.*

You’ll master science-backed strategies to feel energized, stress less, and sleep better. No fads, no drastic diets - just practical skills that let you enjoy every season’s flavors and festivities all year round.

Get started today at wonderhealth.com/SFSD!

* Restrictions and eligibility info can be found at wondrhealth.com/SFSD

We’re here for YOU. The District is pleased to offer the AllOne Health Employee Assistance Program (EAP) (previously SandCreek) to help employees and their families find support and the necessary resources when difficult situations arise. AllOne Health helps with everyday life struggles by offering solutions such as mental health counseling, work/life resources, legal/financial resources, medical advocacy, life/wellness coaching, and a personal assistant. Additionally, the EAP is an excellent option for webinars, articles, and other resources to help support our well-being. Our EAP through AllOne Health is free, professional, and confidential.

Curious about what’s included in your EAP? Click HERE to check out their flier and explore the resources available to you!

January 1, 2025 Update: SandCreek Becoming AllOne Health

Your mental health and well-being matter to us, and we are proud to offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides mental health counseling and a range of whole health support services for you and your family.

Our EAP partner, SandCreek, previously announced that effective January 1, 2025 will be changing its name to AllOne Health. While the name is changing, you can rest assured that your access to all the benefits will continue seamlessly through the transition.