Happy Friday! Megan here.
Weather check: Perfect weather to get out and support local businesses with your last few shopping days until Christmas
📝A programming note: This'll be the last newsletter for 2025, but you will see a couple more (scheduled) emails asking you to consider becoming a paying member. If you don't want to get those emails, the easiest thing to do is become a paying member. 😜
All jokes aside, I really am so incredibly grateful for every one of you reading this. I'll celebrate FIVE years of Sioux Falls Simplified in February, and I wouldn't have made it five months without you. 💕
This week, you'll learn about an important ongoing community conversation about after-school care for kids. You'll also find a nice, feel-good example of Sioux Fallsians doing their Sioux Falls-i-est in supporting one another. Plus, get a last-minute gift idea from the YMCA and find some Super Simplified Stories to end the year. Oh, and don't miss the event guide this week – it's jam-packed and has all you need for NYE, too.
And now, news:
EDUCATION
Can Sioux Falls financially sustain quality after-school care?
Simplified: Now three years in, the Sioux Falls School District's Community Learning Center after-school programming is proving to help kids improve academically, behaviorally and have better school attendance. The big question now is long-term, sustainable funding.
Why it matters
- Sioux Falls first implemented the Community Learning Centers (CLCs) in a pilot program in the 2022-23 school year as a way to give parents an after-school option for kids, connect kids with tutoring and other activities, and create a community hub for parents and students alike.
- The programs have since grown to all elementary schools – including summer care, and this year, the district is piloting a middle school CLC program with the hopes to expand to all middle schools in the coming years. CLCs have also added some before-school options for parents who may have to start their days early.
- Parents pay $190 every two weeks to send their kids to CLC programs, but an increasing number of families (about 4 in 10) are relying on scholarships to offset those costs. And with some federal funding cuts and overall economic uncertainty, the school district is looking at multiple revenue streams to ensure these programs are here to stay.
"We have 3 years of data saying this is making a significant impact on kids," said Rebecca Wimmer, coordinator of community partnerships and after-school programs. "That next step is going back out into the community and saying, 'We have the data now, this is something that is impactful. How are we going to make sure this is something we can sustain long term?'"
Tell me more about the funding structure
COMMUNITY
How Sioux Falls showed up after burst pipe damaged shelter
Darlene Hillmer's work day on Friday, Dec. 5 started with a call about a fire alarm and evacuating the Children's Home Shelter for Family Safety where she serves as assistant program director. Shortly after, she and her team were standing in more than two inches of water in the basement, surrounded by ruined toys, clothes, diapers and other essential supplies.
Tell me more
A burst pipe had caused the alarm to go off, and the resulting water damage left the nonprofit with two dumpsters full of now-ruined supplies.
- Included in the damage was a pile of toys the shelter had planned to gift to residents during the upcoming holiday season.
The shelter, which opened in a larger location in 2022, has been at or over capacity in recent weeks, Hillmer said. The capacity is 108, but there have been nights where the shelter has housed as many as 120 people.
Thankfully, none of the water hit the living quarters, so shelter guests were largely unaffected. But staff offices were damaged, and many of the supplies stored in the basement had to either be laundered or thrown out.
What happened next?
SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS
Need gifts, not stuff? Give your child a summer of adventure
This is a paid piece from the Sioux Falls Family YMCA.
Simplified: Summer may feel eons away in snowy December, but it's exactly the right time to plan ahead for Camp Leif Ericson. And signing your child up for camp is a great way to gift experiences, adventure and memories they'll carry with them for a lifetime.
Why it matters
- Camp Leif Ericson has been impacting South Dakota kids for generations – dating back to 1920 when it first started at Lake Madison, through 1966 when it moved to its current central Sioux Falls location and today as the camp looks to improve for future generations.
- Through camp, children ages 4 to 15 get a chance to belong to a tight-knit community developing leadership skills, gaining independence and seeing firsthand the importance of having respect for nature.
- The 2026 camp registration opened in November, and some sections are already filling fast. The two-week camp sessions have limited capacity, and now is the best time to sign up to ensure your child can be in the session they want (and paired up with any friends who are also attending camp). It's also a chance to gift your kids experiences they may not otherwise have.
"There's nowhere else that you really spend that length of time in nature, getting your hands dirty and being immersed in it," Camp Director Caley Harr said. "A lot of our activities are truly once-in-a-lifetime for these kids."
Tell me more about Camp Leif Ericson
TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- School Board asks Rhoden to reconsider. Gov. Larry Rhoden has proposed a 0% increase to education in his 2026 budget – a number that goes against state law, which requires South Dakota to increase funding to education annually at either 3% or the rate of inflation (whichever is lower). That hasn't happened for years now, and the Sioux Falls School Board shared a letter asking the governor and the state legislature to follow the state law when it comes to school funding. You can read the full letter here.
- Guess who's back, back again. Oak View's back. Tell a friend. The Oak View Branch library is set to reopen Monday after being closed for four months due to extensive renovations – including an updated entrance with new public art from the Oak View Neighborhood Association. There's also a new fenced outdoor patio space in the courtyard which will be used for expanded programming. To celebrate its reopening and 20th anniversary, the library will host an open house Wed., Jan. 7, 2026, from 3 to 6 p.m.
- Become a data privacy expert.* Dakota State University recently announced a new, online Master of Science in Data Privacy. The program will equip graduates with the knowledge and skills needed to guide responsible data practices and strengthen organizational resilience in a data-centric world. It's also an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Beacom College of Computer & Cyber Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Business and Information Systems. Learn more and apply today.
- A new stop for last-minute gifts.* Looking for unique gift ideas? Check out Real Deals - Sioux Falls, a home decor and fashion boutique that offers a consistently updated selection all at great prices. Shop in-person from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 2001 W. 41st St. Follow on Facebook and check out the website here.
- Meet Mila. There's a new face at the Great Plains Zoo, and she's a two-year-old Amur tiger. Mila was born at the zoo in Cleveland and transferred to Sioux Falls to pal up with Zuzaan, who also joined the zoo this summer. The hope is the two will breed at some point. Here's a photo:
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
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Thank you
Thank you to Sioux Falls Simplified sponsors, including Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc., Live on Stage, SafeSplash Swim School, Dakota State University, Redmond Prime Cuts, Great Bear Ski Valley, Encompass Mental Health, the Sioux Falls YMCA, EmBe, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Barre3 Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium, the Washington Pavilion and the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance. When you support them, you're also supporting Sioux Falls Simplified.
Oh, by the way
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