Sioux Falls School District 49-5
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Form a Steering Committee (Step Descriptions)
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56

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State Law

South Dakota is a
"May" state

Learn more about state laws.

Location Map Sioux Falls, SD 57105 Minnehaha County
Lifewise Local Program Website Link (opens in a new tab)
District Poverty Rate 10.9% (data source)
Non-White Students 43.9% (data source)
NCES Link NCES District Info
Last Updated January 18, 2026
South Dakota State Law

School districts may create a policy allowing students to be released for religious study, or they may choose not to coordinate with released-time programs and require the students' legal guardians facilitate the process.
Read more about "May" and "Shall" state laws

Full Law Text Link to State Law

13-33-10. Released time for religious instruction.

A child may, on application of his parent or guardian, be excused from school for one hour per week for the purpose of taking and receiving religious instruction conducted by some church or association of churches. The school board shall decide at what hour pupils may be excused. No such instruction may be given in whole or in part at public expense. The school board may allow the student to accumulate up to four hours of excused leave time to be taken consecutively on any one day or two hours to be taken on any two days.

What Can My School District Do?

All school districts, regardless of whether they are required by law to allow released time, should implement good policy and be prepared for when a released time program may approach the district. The time to set the policy is before an active program is pressuring the district. Research polices the district can implement to protect teachers' and students' instruction time. Set polices that limit disruptions to students and the ability for proselytization to occur, impacting other students of faith or no faith. A more detailed write-up on school board policies can be read here.

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Schools in the District (48)
School Grades Period
All City Elementary - 50
Anne Sullivan Elementary - 20
ARISE Shelter Care - 71
Avera Adolescent Addiction Care Program - 81
Avera Behavioral Health Program - 82
Ben Reifel Middle School - 68
Bridges At Horace Mann - 52
Challenge Center - 51
Cleveland Elementary - 14
Community Campus - 41
CTE - 37
Discovery Elementary - 26
Edison Middle School - 06
Elementary Immersion Center - 43
Eugene Field A+ Elementary - 16
Flex - 45
Garfield Elementary - 19
George Mcgovern Middle School -09
Harvey Dunn Elementary - 54
Hawthorne Elementary - 56
Hayward Elementary - 38
Jefferson High School - 67
John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57
John Harris Elementary - 23
Laura B. Anderson Elementary - 10
Laura Wilder Elementary - 31
Lincoln High School - 02
Lowell Elementary - 28
Memorial Middle School - 04
New Technology High School - 30
Odyssey - 47
Oscar Howe Elementary - 58
Patrick Henry Middle School - 07
Renberg Elementary - 42
Rf Pettigrew Elementary - 17
Robert Frost Elementary - 18
Roosevelt High School - 03
Rosa Parks Elementary - 15
Sonia Sotomayor Elementary - 65
Structured Teaching - 12
Success Academy - 39
Summit Oaks-Day - 40
Summit Oaks-Residential - 48
Susan B. Anthony Elementary - 66
Terry Redlin Elementary - 11
Virtual Academy - 90
Washington High School - 01
Whittier Middle School - 08
38 schools not shown
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Launch Steps History
Step
Description
Signatures
Date
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
56
December 21, 2025
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
55
December 1, 2025
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
54
November 14, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
49
October 31, 2025
Step 1
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48
October 27, 2025
Step 1
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44
October 12, 2025
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43
September 19, 2025
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37
September 15, 2025
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36
September 9, 2025
Step 1
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35
September 6, 2025
Step 1
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34
September 3, 2025
Step 1
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33
July 26, 2025
Step 1
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32
July 23, 2025
Step 1
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31
March 20, 2025
Step 1
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30
December 13, 2024
Step 1
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29
December 5, 2024
Step 1
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27
October 7, 2024
Step 1
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25
September 26, 2024
Step 1
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23
September 18, 2024
Step 1
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22
September 10, 2024
Step 1
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18
June 20, 2024
Step 1
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17
April 26, 2024
Step 0
No Progress
0
March 17, 2024
 
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