The outcome of a school bond issue vote on May 13 will determine if more than $100 million will be spent to improve facilities in the South Sioux City School District.
School officials and community members pitched the plan to add modern facilities in the district with growing enrollment and some aging buildings. The projected cost is $127 million.
Stacey Selk, who took part in a series of five meetings about the school plans in 2024 and whose husband teaches in the South Sioux district, said the new facilities are greatly needed.
“The bottom line is that our kids deserve good schools, our community needs good schools, and this is our turn to do what is right for our kids, our families, and the community overall,” Selk said.
“I absolutely think that this will pass. There was such great momentum in the community sessions in the fall.”
The measure needs a simple majority vote to pass. Early voting has been underway for several days, after ballots were mailed to all people on April 21. Completed ballots must be returned to the Dakota County Courthouse by 5:00 p.m.Tuesday to be counted.
The endeavor marks one of the largest school bond proposals, if not the alltime largest, in Siouxland history to be put before voters in a school district.
The list of possible facility additions includes a new intermediate center for fifth and sixth graders, constructing a new kindergarten through fourth grade building, plus a new pre-K building. The plan also includes some updates to improve accessibility and for better security measures.
In a series of 2024 meetings, the Cardinal Vision Group carried out research and recommended the bond issue vote, saying many buildings are aging and the district’s student enrollment continues to increase.
“One of the buildings in our district is over 100 years old, and I think about 67 percent of the buildings in our schools are already at capacity,” Selk said.
Selk added that the strength of the school bond proposal is shown in the fact there has been no organized group that opposes the voting measure.
South Sioux City School District workers are currently educating nearly 3,800 students. That number is projected to rise by 150 students over the next five years, and by 500 pupils over the next 10 years.
In a release in early May, school officials pinpointing locations for some of the new buildings are being cooperatively set in concert with city of South Sioux City officials. The goal is to reduce congestion near G Street, so one goal is to find property in the growing Flatwater area in the northeast part of town for two schools.
Selk said the other school, for grades kindergarten through fourth, could go in the southwest part of South Sioux City, if the bond measure passes. Those placements for the new schools came from listening to what residents said, she added.
