Education

Thousands of schoolchildren across South Dakota are facing new barriers to getting proper nutrition at school due to the end of a pandemic-era federal program that provided free meals to all students regardless of parental income. Parents in South Dakota, meanwhile, are facing new financial challenges as they try to

South Dakota is playing catch-up when it comes to stemming the so-called “brain drain” of college graduates leaving for careers in other states, with declining college enrollment related to the COVID-19 pandemic adding to the urgency. Major employers such as First Premier Bank and Sanford and Avera hospitals – whose operations

With outside political forces adding new stress to South Dakota teachers, a panel of four education experts stressed the importance of restoring trust in professional educators to do their jobs well and focus more on teaching than worrying about potential criticism from beyond the classroom. The hourlong discussion generally debunked

The extent to which national political movements sway South Dakota’s legislative priorities was rarely more evident than during a House Education Committee hearing in Pierre in early February 2022. On the agenda was House Bill 1337, one of several education measures brought by Gov. Kristi Noem to keep critical

Amid the flurry of recent debate on education standards and race-based curricula in South Dakota schools, most classroom teachers have been relatively quiet. Many are restricted by media policies in their school districts, or they express concern about repercussions if they engage publicly in political discussions. This reticence comes as

Jason Connelly is exactly the kind of young educator the South Dakota public school system would love to add to its depleted teacher workforce. Connelly grew up in Sioux Falls and attended Catholic schools before pursuing a history and teaching degree at Augustana University, which he obtained this year. Connelly