SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO-AM) South Dakota's biggest school system gets bigger every year.
When Sioux Falls schools open Tuesday morning, there will be about 300 additional students for a total of 23,500 students. A big push this year will be improving attendance to make sure all those students get to class. About 15 percent of Sioux Falls students miss three weeks or more of school a year.
The new mantra is: Every Student. Every Day. Attendance Matters. School District Spokesman Ben Schumacher says all parents need to be involved..
"The more parents are pushing for students to be on time, the more likely it is that they will get to school on time," says Schumacher.
Student safety is a priority as the city gears up for another school year. Schumacher says children need to be told to cross streets safely and to wear helmets if they are on bicycles. Drivers on the morning commute need to be aware of all the extra kids out there and need to give some slack to that big orange school bus up ahead..
There will be a brand new school this year - Sonia Sotomayor Elementary. All Spanish immersion programs will now be under one roof for the first time in Sioux Falls. It will be all Spanish all the time at the new school.
