Community Engagement and What We Learned
South Sioux City Community Schools did not approach the bond conversation lightly, quickly, or in isolation. Over many months, the District made a deliberate and sustained effort to inform, listen to, and engage our community around facility needs, enrollment growth, safety, and long-term planning. The idea that this conversation emerged suddenly does not reflect the reality of the work that occurred.
Extensive Community Engagement
Before the bond proposal appeared on the ballot, the District implemented one of the most comprehensive engagement efforts in our history, including:
Five public community engagement sessions, offered at different times and formats to maximize access and participation
Community surveys to gather feedback, priorities, and concerns directly from stakeholders
Facility tours and walkthroughs, allowing community members to see conditions firsthand
News articles, district publications, and ongoing website updates explaining needs, timelines, and financial considerations
Presentations and small-group discussions with staff, parents, community leaders, and organizations
These efforts were intentional, transparent, and sustained. Within the constraints of a public school district and limited resources, our team worked creatively and tirelessly to ensure the community had multiple opportunities to learn, ask questions, and provide input.
The outcome of the referendum was not a reflection of a lack of effort, strategy, or commitment by Team SSC. Our engagement work was strong, thoughtful, and aligned with best practices in school-community communication.
What We Learned Moving Forward
As part of our post-election reflection, we studied similar districts that successfully passed bond measures and identified several important takeaways that will guide future planning and engagement.
1. Strong Engagement Matters — and We Did That Well
Compared to peer districts, South Sioux City’s outreach was both robust and creative. The volume of sessions, surveys, tours, and communications demonstrates a clear commitment to community involvement. The experience reaffirmed that our staff and leadership are capable of leading large-scale engagement efforts effectively.
2. Influential Community Voices Make a Difference
Districts with successful bond elections benefited from highly visible community advocates — respected local leaders who volunteered to speak publicly, share personal perspectives, and lend credibility to the effort.
Moving forward, a key area of focus will be identifying, cultivating, and supporting trusted voices within our own community who can help share the story from a non-district perspective.
3. Tax Impact Is Strongly Influenced by Local Valuation
One of the most significant factors affecting voter response is overall property valuation within a district. Communities with much higher valuations are able to pursue similar bond amounts with a substantially lower tax impact on individual homeowners.
By comparison, South Sioux City’s total valuation is considerably lower, which resulted in a higher estimated annual cost for property owners. In other districts, strategies such as long-term debt reduction and use of reserves helped reduce or offset tax impacts — approaches that will remain part of future financial discussions.
Our Commitment Continues
South Sioux City Community Schools remains committed to transparency, listening, and responsible planning. The conversations around facilities, growth, safety, and learning environments are not one-time discussions — they are ongoing, evolving, and community-driven.
We are grateful to everyone who attended a session, completed a survey, toured a building, read an article, or asked thoughtful questions. That engagement matters, and it will continue to shape how we move forward together.
Survey
We appreciate you taking a few minutes to share your feedback about South Sioux City Community Schools.
We are a community of learners. We’re asking if you will help us learn more about the outcome of the May 2025 bond election. We want to hear from our community to help us better understand the different things that contributed to the result. We invite you to take a brief survey to share your thoughts about the district and our recent election.
We will use the results of the survey and your feedback to determine how to move forward with addressing the facility needs in our schools. Listening to our community members is a high priority and we hope you will participate in this important effort.
Thank you for your time.
Board of Education Calls for Special Election on May 13th
The South Sioux City Board of Education has approved a resolution for a special mail-in election, giving our community the opportunity to vote on a proposed $127 million bond to support critical school facility improvements.
This plan was built by the community, for the community. Over the past year, we have gathered input through:
✅ Five Community Workshops
✅ Building Tours
✅ Two Community Surveys
This bond proposal is designed to:
Address aging infrastructure and district-wide facility needs
Reduce overcrowding in our schools
Enhance safety and security at each campus
Create more effective and modern learning environments for all students
Ballots will be mailed to all registered voters residing in the district the week of April 21, 2025. Completed ballots must be returned to the Dakota County Courthouse by 5:00 PM on May 13, 2025, to be counted.
This election presents an important opportunity for our residents to help shape the future of education in South Sioux City. We are committed to providing clear, neutral, and accurate information about the proposal. Further details will be shared regularly with both staff and the community.
