Jackelyn Severin

The Rapid City school board turned down a grant opportunity that would help new immigrant students. 

Rapid City’s back-to-school COVID mitigation plan is in limbo. And school is less than two weeks away. 

Sixty-four percent of South Dakota fourth graders are not proficient in reading. That’s according to the latest national KIDs Count. It ranks states on how well children are doing on a number of important metrics.   

First responders in South Dakota are gaining access to free mental-health services. Lawmakers passed the new programs during the 2021 session, and members of a legislative task force received updates at a recent meeting.  

The pandemic is causing teacher shortages and other school staffing problems across the state. Two top education officials discussed the issue at a recent Sioux Falls Rotary meeting.

A new report shines a light on student absences and other pandemic problems in schools. The state Department of Education surveyed districts in May to come up with the data.  

South Dakota’s medical marijuana law takes effect July 1st.  But state health officials still need to issue regulations and create a distribution process.

Lawmakers continue to discuss regulations surrounding medical marijuana in South Dakota. On Monday, a legislative subcommittee listened to several presentations including one from North Dakota’s department of health.  

Dakota Wesleyan University plans to expand one of its nursing programs in Sioux Falls. The program is for Licensed Practical Nurses who want to earn a Bachelor of Science degree.

Rapid City will get the region’s first long-term acute care hospital. Monument Health begins construction on the new hospital this fall.