Happy Friday! Megan here.
Weather check: Dry, windy and warming up
This week, You'll find a look at how the city is looking to crackdown on the hoarding of free bus passes with new rules. You'll also see how the Sioux Falls School District is bracing for changes to federal dietary guidelines. Plus, catch some Super Simplified headlines to take you through the weekend.
And now, news:
CITY
City eyes changes to 'Pass-It-On' free bus pass program
Editor's note: Royal Sonsalla, husband of Sioux Falls Simplified founder Megan Raposa, is a member of the Public Transit Advisory Board. His role had no bearing on the content of this reporting, and he had no oversight in the following story.
Simplified: The city is looking at updating rules for a program that provides tens of thousands of free one-time bus passes to social service agencies in Sioux Falls. Here's a closer look at the changes and what they'll mean for people seeking assistance.
Why it matters
- The Pass-It-On program allocates free bus passes to partner agencies to help people without access to transportation get to job interviews, medical appointments, grocery shopping and other essential trips.
- Proposed rules – presented to the Public Transit Advisory Board (PTAB) this week – would require all recipients to have a special Sioux Area Metro Pass-It-On photo ID, and anyone without the photo ID would not be able to use the free passes to ride the bus. They would also ban anyone from selling or trading the passes they're given.
- The goal of the changes is to crack down on people hoarding bus passes or using them as currency to trade for cigarettes, for example – something PTAB board member and Glory House Program Manager Kelly Cleveringa said she's seen firsthand.
- One concern from Cleveringa and other agencies, though, was the proposal to charge $5 for replacement Pass-It-On photo IDs if a person loses theirs.
"All agencies have had concerns about that because we know it'll happen," said Lori Montis, assistant director with Minnehaha County Human Services, the agency overseeing the Pass-It-On program. "We don't have an answer right now."
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EDUCATION
What changing nutrition standards could cost schools
Simplified: A dramatic shift in federal dietary guidelines would add "significant" costs to the Sioux Falls School District's child nutrition department, Nutrition Coordinator Gay Anderson told school board members this week.
Why it matters
- Earlier this year, federal officials proposed a new inverted food pyramid with an emphasis on protein, full-fat dairy and healthy fats. The updated dietary guidelines emphasize more "whole foods" and fewer "highly processed food" – though, Anderson said neither term has a strong definition as of now.
- The new guidelines would require some additional equipment for elementary schools to be able to serve hot breakfasts, which Anderson estimates could cost around $400,000. Additionally, freshly prepared foods – per guidelines – will require increased labor costs and potentially a new full-time chef position, and additional protein requirements will mean upping the costs of what's already the most expensive component on a school lunch tray, Anderson said.
- Gov. Larry Rhoden on Friday is expected to sign HB 1082, which would cover the cost of all reduced-price meals for kids across the state. Sioux Falls schools already does that, so the additional state money could offset some of the rising food and equipment costs, Anderson said. Right now, 48% of Sioux Falls students receive free lunches. That's just shy of 12,000 kids.
"We do support most of the (federal) changes ... but we’re asking for a lot of time," Anderson said, noting that K-12 food manufacturers will also need time to adjust to new regulatory standards.
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SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS
These groups are championing economic growth
This is a paid piece from the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.
Simplified: Sioux Metro Growth Alliance this month recognized individuals, organizations and communities who are facilitating economic development in the region. The organization also revealed a new program coming this year to support leadership across the metro.
Why it matters
- Sioux Metro Growth Alliance's mission is to empower communities to grow, and their work supports much of southeast South Dakota with economic development education, community development resources and public policy.
- Each year, SMGA hosts an annual meeting to recognize wins from the last year and celebrate development efforts across the community.
- This year's event – which saw more than 150 attendees – also brought the announcement of a new "Leadership Sioux Metro." Watch for more details on that in the coming months.
- SMGA also recognized three key awards: Community of the Year, which went to the City of Dell Rapids; Business Partner of the Year, which went to Sioux Valley Energy; and Regional Economic Development Champion, which this year recognized Tea City Administrator Justin Weiland.
“We’re fortunate to live in a state and region where the communities, the businesses, and the people are looking out for each other and working on growing the region with future generations in mind,” SMGA President and CEO Tyler Tordsen said. “All of us at SMGA continue to be proud of our members, partners, and volunteers who make the work we do special and our collective impact on the region meaningful.”
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TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- Help keep kids strong.* Strong Kids is the Sioux Falls Family YMCA’s community campaign focused on making programs like youth sports, summer camp, and after-school activities more accessible for kids and families through scholarships and financial assistance. For many families, signing up for camp or youth sports also means sitting at the kitchen table and figuring out if it fits in the budget. Strong Kids helps make those opportunities possible for more kids in our community.
- You can support Strong Kids via this link or text "STRONGKIDS" to 50155 to give.
- 🚒 Wanna be a firefighter when you grow up? Now's your chance. Applications open April 20 for the next Sioux Falls Fire Rescue Cadet Academy. Minimum qualifications include a high school diploma or GED. An equivalent combination of education, experience or training may be accepted by the hiring authority. Applicants must be ages 21 to 44 with a valid driver’s license. Vision must be correctable to at least 20/40 in each eye and candidates are required to be nonsmokers. Learn more here.
- Solutions to simplify and sustain your business.* WTH Solutions is a Sioux Falls–based consulting company dedicated to helping client companies strengthen margins, simplify operations, and unlock sustainable cost savings. Founded by Tom Hammann, the company is a small, veteran-owned company that brings big‑company expertise to businesses of all sizes without the layers, jargon, or inflated promises that often accompany traditional consulting. Learn more here about how Tom and the WTH Solutions team can support your cost savings or supply chain improvement initiatives.
- Unpaid, but invaluable. The AARP this week released a report estimating the value of family caregiving for adults at $2.5 billion each year – though most caregivers won't see a dime. Without family caregivers, the report reads, many more South Dakotans would rely on expensive institutional care, driving significantly higher costs for taxpayers and public programs.
- By the numbers, the report estimates 150,000 South Dakotans are caregivers for adults totaling 106 million hours of care per year. You can read the full "Valuing the Invaluable" report here.
*Denotes a paid partnership
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
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Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Thank you
Thank you to Sioux Falls Simplified sponsors, including SafeSplash Swim School, Dakota State University, Wayne & Mary's Nutrition Center, Startup Sioux Falls, Redmond Prime Cuts, 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, The Premiere Playhouse, The Good Night Theatre Collective 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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