Education

A country music star renowned for giving back and a psychologist at the forefront of improving mental health access are among this year’s 10 inductees into the South Dakota Hall of Fame. 

With the number of college-aged students predicted to dwindle and as other states roll out more college affordability programs, some South Dakota colleges plan to bolster enrollment with creative recruitment tactics and another tuition freeze. 

Native American leaders in South Dakota are raising private funds and developing their own schools in an effort to improve educational outcomes for Native students who have trailed their white peers in all academic measures for generations in the state K-12 public school system.

“One of the things I brought to the South Dakota Symphony was a conviction that an orchestra should serve its unique community uniquely." Conductor Delta David Gier is transforming what a symphony can be — and getting national attention for it.

As larger programs reap benefits of billion-dollar TV deals, mid-major athletic programs struggle to spark revenue and enrollment despite competitive success. “It’s just a hard slog and you have to work at it,” said SDSU booster Dana Dykhouse.

A bill now under consideration by the state Legislature seeks to find the right balance in assessment of juvenile offenders to determine which should be sent back to school and which should be sent to jail. Developing a suitable assessment tool and process has proven challenging as school officials say they are handling too many delinquents but advocates for reform at the same time push for greater alternatives to juvenile incarcerations.

The ongoing teacher shortage in South Dakota public schools is worsening at a time when political pressure on educators is rising, the teaching profession has been devalued by some government officials, and Gov. Kristi Noem has proposed a reduction in new education funding for 2023-24 compared to 2022-23. Meanwhile, colleges and school districts are seeking their own solutions to encourage young people to enter the teaching profession.

Those who want all American schoolchildren to have access to free meals at school are looking to the U.S. Congress for the authorization and money to pay for the meals. But for now, no firm plan exists in Washington, D.C. to get universal free meals approved.

A federal program that provided free meals to all American schoolchildren during COVID-19 has ended, causing more students than usual to go hungry in South Dakota schools. Many families, already enduring inflation, are having a harder time affording food for their children or buying them meals at school. Schools and teachers are doing their best to keep students healthy and fed.

South Dakota continues to suffer from the so-called "brain drain," in which high school and college graduates leave the state and take their skills and talents with them. But a new scholarship program and other efforts are giving hope that more educated, talented young people will stay in the state where they grew up.