Happy Friday! Megan here.
Weather check: Warm-y and stormy
This week, you've got quite a bit of reading on the school board candidates (but don't worry, I'll also resend this as you get closer to the election). Plus, there's a ton of "super simplified" news – including important details on public pools.
And now, news:
2026 ELECTION
Meet the Sioux Falls School Board candidates
(Editor's note: This is just one part of a series of stories about local candidates in the upcoming June 2 primary, municipal and school board election. Find more coverage here.)
Simplified: Six people are looking to fill three open seats on the board overseeing South Dakota's largest school district, and Sioux Falls Simplified talked to all six of them. Here's a closer look at the candidates.
Why it matters
- The Sioux Falls School District has about 24,000 students, and it's one of the largest employers in the city. That means the school board overseeing the district – including a more than $300 million budget – has a big impact on the entire city.
- The five-member board has three open seats, meaning if a majority of the board changes, so, too, could the trajectory of public schools in the city. Or, if the three incumbents earn re-election, the district can maintain status quo in the direction it's already headed.
- This guide aims to make it easy to feel smart about how the candidates feel on a wide variety of relevant policy issues. Sioux Falls Simplified sat down with all six candidates and asked the same slate of questions.
Let's meet the candidates
SIMPLIFIED PRESENTS
Meet Sioux Falls' experts in OT and sensory processing
This is a paid piece from FUNctional Kids Pediatric Therapy.
Simplified: If putting on socks on your child is causing meltdowns or brushing teeth is a nightly nightmare, it might be time to look into occupational therapy. Here's how Functional Kids Pediatric Therapy can help solve day-to-day challenges parents and kids are facing.
Why it matters
- Occupational Therapist and Founder Nicole Fluth has spent her entire career helping kids. She opened FUNctional Kids Pediatric Therapy in 2021 to support kids while also empowering parents and caretakers to understand their needs.
- Occupational therapy is a pretty broad field, but Fluth said the end goal is really just helping kids get through both what they want to do and what they need to do in any given day.
- What sets FUNctional Kids apart is Fluth's work directly with childcare providers. She and her team of therapists will, when needed, meet kids at their childcare centers to help educate their teachers on systems and strategies that work with that particular child so they get the support both at home and at daycare.
"We want to see kids be successful in every environment they’re in, and we want to help families not have to go through day-to-day with as much stress," Fluth said.
Tell me more
TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- 🚨Last chance to sign up for camp (for real this time!).* Registration for YMCA Camp Leif Ericson closes TODAY. Don't miss your chance to give your kids an unforgettable summer camp experience at the place where Sioux Fallsians have been making summer memories for generations. Get registered here.
- New fire station. The city this week broke ground on the new Fire Station 13 in northwest Sioux Falls at 5200 N. Career Ave. The 12,000-square-foot station is expected to cost just over $5 million, and will employ 15 new firefighters. You can find more details here.
- Who's ready for pool season? The city this week announced outdoor pools will open May 29, weather permitting. Can't wait that long? The splash pads at both the Great Plains Zoo and Jacobson Plaza are already open. The new McKennan Park wading pool is also on track to open with the rest of the public pools, and for west-siders awaiting a new Kuehn Park pool, know that you can still enjoy the old pool while the new one is being built. Learn more about city pools here.
- Switching up swimming lesson sign-up. The city is switching to a lottery system for swimming lesson sign-ups – probably because parents like me have been setting calendar reminders to log on at the exact moment registration opens to try to secure a spot. Here's how it'll work:
- Participants will choose first, second and third preferences. After the lottery closes, swimmers will be randomly assigned to classes with available openings. If the first choice is full, the system will attempt to place the participant in their next choice. Anyone not placed in a class will be added to the first‑choice waitlist.
- Learn more and sign up for the lottery here.
- 🎓Congrats, grads! Nearly 1,800 Sioux Falls School District high schoolers will graduate this weekend, with ceremonies running all day Sunday at the Sioux Falls Arena. Some fun stats about this year's class:
- 484 students are recognized as Regents Scholars by the state education department; 103 earned a Seal of Biliteracy; 13 are National Merit Finalists; and 325 are members of the National Honor Society.
- Good job, kids! You're off to great places, as the great Dr. Seuss would say.
*Denotes a paid partnership
PRICE PREDICTOR
Can you guess the price of this Sioux Falls home?
This is a sponsored segment from Destinie Marshall with Discovery Real Estate Co.
Check out this beautifully updated 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom home situated on a large corner lot with upgrades throughout. This pre-inspected home offers a functional layout with plenty of space to spread out, plus a insulated oversized 2-stall garage featuring epoxy floors and extra parking pad. Inside, you’ll find fresh updates that make the home feel clean, modern, and move-in ready.
Can you guess the price?
Want to see your listing shared here? Email megan@sfsimplified.com.
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
Megan Raposa
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Thank you
Thank you to Sioux Falls Simplified sponsors, including SafeSplash Swim School, Wayne & Mary's Nutrition Center, Startup Sioux Falls, 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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