Sioux Falls public schools enrolled fewer students than district planners expected this fall, with smaller kindergarten classes driving the decline and growing education alternatives complicating the district’s outlook.
Enrollment totaled 23,759 students in junior kindergarten through 12th grade, down 301 students, or 1.3 percent, from last year. Kindergarten-through-12th-grade enrollment, excluding junior kindergarten, fell 249 students short of budget projections.
The decline carries funding consequences. The district’s separate enrollment count used for funding totaled 23,858, down 279 from last year. Monday’s School Board reports also documented a student body that continues to diversify, with 46.3 percent of students reporting a diverse background.
