First new Sioux Falls elementary school in 7 years set to start construction

The last major piece in a $190 million bond for Sioux Falls School District projects has begun.

A new elementary school directly south of George McGovern Middle School held a groundbreaking today, paving the way for the building to serve the growing west side.

“We actually bought this property when we bought the property for George McGovern, so we had this allocated, and we knew it was going to be on the west side of town,” said Jeff Kreiter, director of operational services for the Sioux Falls School District.

“With the growth of the northwest, it’s probably the right place to do it.”

The design for the building essentially mirrors that of Sonia Sotomayor Elementary, which was the district’s most recently built elementary school, opening in 2016.

The new west-side school, which will be named through a process with public input next year, will have some minor design tweaks based on feedback, Kreiter said.

There’s also slated to be a neighborhood park adjacent to it.

Architecture Incorporated did the design, and Empire Building Construction was the low bidder, coming in about $3 million less than the architect’s estimate of $22 million.

That puts the entire $190 million bond package, which included nearby Jefferson High School and east-side Ben Reifel Middle School, about $2.5 million under budget, Kreiter said — despite being estimated in 2017 before a surge in inflation.

The new elementary school will accommodate about 640 students. As for who they will be, that will be decided as boundaries are adjusted next year.

The school is designed to take pressure “off the whole west side,” Kreiter said.

It’s scheduled to open for classes in August 2025.

Even before that, though, it might be time to look at future building needs. The last round of projects was anticipated to take the district through the coming decade, and population growth plus aging buildings demand more investment.

Future projects likely include another west-side elementary and the rebuilding of Whittier Middle School, Kreiter said.

“There’s nothing set for when that’s going to happen, but those are some of the pieces we’re doing,” he said. “I think on high schools, we’re probably going to be good. They’re going to be studying that and looking at birth rates. They’ll see what the projections are and how it impacts all that.”