Sioux Falls School Board members critical of efforts in Pierre to restrain opt outs

Lawmakers took repeated swings to make it easier for voters to refer property tax increases to public vote

Two Sioux Falls School Board members closed Monday’s meeting with open anger over the 2026 legislative session.

That was after Business Manager Todd Vik told the board lawmakers had taken repeated runs at the district’s opt-out authority.

The sharpest comments came after a legislative update that began with an update on free and reduced-price school lunches — a reform lawmakers passed Monday — and ended with a familiar complaint: That Sioux Falls keeps getting singled out when lawmakers look for ways to change school funding.