SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) says concrete repairs are scheduled on Interstate 90 between Exits 400 and 402 beginning the week of Monday, Oct. 17, 2022. The concrete repairs will take place in both the westbound and eastbound directions.
The closure will reduce traffic down to one lane while the contractor completes the concrete repairs. Work is expected to take up to three weeks.
Motorists should be aware that speed limits will be reduced to 45 mph when workers are present and to 65 mph when workers are not present in this work zone.
About SDDOT:
The mission of the South Dakota Department of Transportation is to efficiently provide a safe and effective public transportation system.
For the latest on road and weather conditions, road closures, construction work zones, commercial vehicle restrictions, and traffic incidents, please visit https://sd511.org or dial 511.
Cheryl Lyngen opened the American Legion Auxiliary meeting at 8:00 on October 6 and Chaplain, Sue, led us in prayer. All officers were present. The secretary’s and treasurer’s reports were both given and approved by the group.
Membership is now at 130 with a goal of 188. Diane reported that 5 cards were sent.
The district newsletter from Noel Bonjour was read by the secretary and it was noted that the fall district meeting will be at the Military Alliance Building in Sioux Falls on October 22. All are encouraged to attend.
There was a motion made by Kathy and seconded by Liz to pay the bill for the dictionaries. They will be presented to local elementary students soon.
Cheryl reported that Nancy Grandy has created a great local post newsletter for all to read. Bingo will be held at Palisade Healthcare on September 12. There is a large turn-out for that and volunteers are needed.
Make a Difference Day is being recognized and we will be assembling variety baskets for local people at our November meeting.
There was a motion to donate $300.00 to the Sioux Falls V.A. for the Christmas Gift Shop. The motion was made by Sue and seconded by Linda.
It was announced by Sue that the Vets Center in Sioux Falls is accepting winter clothes donations.
Sue closed the meeting with prayer and Cheryl won the door prize.
The past week proved busy for the Lady Dragons volleyball team, who took on Dell Rapids St. Mary's on Tuesday, Canton on Thursday, Lennox on Monday, and McCook Central/Montrose on the next Tuesday.
Aleah Wagner and Logan Bly
While they lost in four sets to Canton, the team dealt blows to DRSM and Lennox, bringing their season score to 13-6. (Results from MCM were not available at press time.)
In the competition against the DRSM Cardinals, hosted in the Dragon's Lair, the team took their opponent in four sets, 25-9, 25-14, 19-25, 25-15.
Despite looking for revenge after an earlier-season loss against Canton, the Dragons were again unable to prevail against the C-Hawks. The Dragons were able to take set 2 with a score of 25-22, but ended sets 1, 3, and 4 with a score of 24-26, 21-25, and 18-25.
Grace Hove
Against Lennox on Monday, the Dragons again made the game look easy, keeping the opposing team from scoring many points. They ended the match in three sets with scores of 25-10, 25-10, and 25-18.
The Lady Dragons will play at home on Thursday (tonight) against the Tea Area Titans. JV begins at 6:00 p.m. and Varsity begins at 7:15 p.m.
Garretson harriers traveled to Beresford for the Big East Conference meet last Thursday, October 6. Three cross country competitors took on the varsity challenge, with Preston Bohl taking third place.
Preston Bohl
"It was great to get Preston Bohl back running," said Coach Jason Bohl. "He has been out since the end of July with a stress fracture and was able to get third overall to obtain All Conference status."
P. Bohl's official time for the 5,000 meter race was 17:30.30, only slightly behind Bereford's Andrew Atwood and Baltic's John Gronewold.
"Noah Schotzko and Emma Hanson also ran varsity and had their best times of the season," said Coach Bohl. Schotzko finished at 20:30.82 and Hanson finished at 24:28.14.
In JV, Eliza Potter (11th at 20:34.72), Nathanial Roberts (7th at 16:38.50), and Sebastian Deyoung (8th at 16:44.84) brought home medals in the junior varsity races.
Garretson harriers will be competing today (Thursday) in Salem at Regions, the final meet prior to State competition on October 22.
Last Friday, Oct. 7, GHS Football faced Irene-Wakonda. Final score was 12-64. Unfortunately we were unable to connect with Head Coach Jerry Weiland before press time this week. The next game for the Blue Dragons is this Friday, Oct. 14 here at home against Centerville. Come out and support the GHS Football for their last home game of the season!
My name is Tom Holmes and I am a candidate for the Minnehaha County Commission. To help prepare me for that role I have attended county commission meetings and interviewed each of the departments that provide services to us in the county. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of professionals who take great pride in their work in providing the best possible service for us.
I would like to share with you what I have learned about the three elected positions, the County Auditor, the Register of Deeds, the County Treasurer, and one non-elected position, the Department of Equalization.
Ben Kyte is the current director of the Auditor’s Office. The Auditor pays the bills and conducts oversight of the other departments. The auditor is also the chief election official for the county. They collect liens issued by other departments and serve as record keepers, documenting all transactions.The auditor’s office also apportions taxes, allocating the money that has been collected.
Ben has made a number of changes that have resulted in improvements in the functioning of the office. His greatest source of pride, however, lies in the staff that he has hired. With over 2000 new voters having registered since the beginning of the year, the role of the election official becomes increasingly time consuming.
Julie Risty is the Register of Deeds which is the records office for the county and is guided by state laws. They issue marriage licenses and death certificates. Deeds, mortgages, and military discharge records are housed here as well. In addition, her office issues easements and liens. Julie took me to the part of the office where the plats are stored. These plats are detailed maps of the county that date back to the time when the area was part of the Dakota Territory. Being in that room was like walking back in time.
Kris Swanson runs the County Treasurer’s Office. It’s their job to collect property taxes. She stressed the importance of the Elderly Tax Freeze for those on fixed incomes. Individuals 65 years of age and older may apply. The income threshold is $35,000 for a single adult and $45,000 for a married couple. Those with disabilities may also apply. Kris encourages those who qualify to take advantage of this opportunity.
The Department of Equalization is run by Chris Lille. His office determines the value of property to be taxed order to meet the needs of the county. National organizations have created a handbook that details the criteria used by assessors across the country. Those who work in the department must successfully complete intensive coursework to qualify as an assessor and must renew their credentials every five years. Being an assessor is demanding and intensive work.
On Saturday, October 8, the South Dakota Softball Association held a banquet to honor their most recent Hall of Fame inductees. Craig "Roller" Rollag was among the distinguished honorees.
Craig "Roller" Rollag (right, with inductees Dan Roskup and Tom Schulte) was inducted on Saturday to the South Dakota Softball Association's Hall of Fame. Rollag played fastpitch softball for 24 years for both Sioux Falls and in the Border League.
Rollag is the son of Doreen and Leonard Rollag and lives north of Beaver Creek, on the Highway 23 South Dakota/Minnesota border.
"Leonard should have been in the Hall of Fame as well," said Doreen. Leonard was a pitcher for many years for the Garretson Softball team, and was credited by Rollag as teaching him and his brother Kevin how to pitch.
"I wish he was here tonight, so I could thank him," Rollag said during his acceptance speech. He also gave a shoutout to his uncle Gary, who introduced Rollag to the world of Fastpitch Softball in 1972. After that, he was hooked, and he pointed out that his wife and children spent many summer weekends as spectators and supporters at his games.
Rollag played fastpitch softball for 24 years, mainly in Sioux Falls and for teams in the Border League. He was nominated for both player and manager positions. During his tenure, he won 9 championships and played in five National tournaments.
He was nominated by Hall of Famer Artie Schmeichal, who wrote, "Craig as a pitcher always kept us in games, he seldom let one get away. But he was more than the pitcher, he was instrumental with his knowledge of the game, leadership, recruiting talent, and landing sponsors, everything you want as a player/manager.”
Other inductees that evening included Dan Roskup of Sioux Falls, Tom "Shriner" Schulte of Sioux Falls, and Bill and Rosemary Maher of Spearfish.
Photos by Aarryon Flores-MartinezPhotos by Aarryon Flores-Martinez
On Oct. 8th, Nordstrom’s Automotive did their annual 40-40-40 Pull- a–thon, inviting customers to load up what ever they could to push their $40 purchase through a 40ft obstacle course in 40 seconds or less! More than a thousand people came to the Ewe-Pullit self-service for the event.
Title: An initiated amendment to the South Dakota Constitution expanding Medicaid eligibility.
Attorney General Explanation: Medicaid is a program, funded by the State and the federal government, to provide medical coverage for low-income people who are in certain designated categories. This constitutional amendment expands Medicaid eligibility in South Dakota. It requires the State to provide Medicaid benefits to any person over age 18 and under 65 whose income is at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, plus 5% of the federal poverty level for the applicable family size, as provided in federal law. For people who qualify under this amendment, the State may not impose burdens or restrictions that are greater than those imposed on any other person eligible for Medicaid benefits under South Dakota law.
The South Dakota Department of Social Services must submit to the federal government all documentation required to implement this amendment and must take all actions necessary to maximize federal funding for this expansion.
Vote "Yes" to adopt the amendment.
Vote "No" to leave the Constitution as it is.
Fiscal Note: The proposed expansion of Medicaid could cover an additional 42,500 eligible individuals, with a total estimated cost over the first five years of $1,515,214,000. For the first five years under current federal law, the state's share of expenses could be $166,244,000 with the state recognizing additional general fund savings of $162,473,000.
That Article XXI of the Constitution of South Dakota be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
§10 Beginning July 1, 2023, the State of South Dakota shall provide Medicaid benefits to any person over eighteen and under sixty-five whose income is at or below one hundred thirty-three percent of the federal poverty level plus five percent of the federal poverty level for the applicable family size, as authorized by federal law as of January 1, 2021. Such person shall receive coverage that meets or exceeds the benchmark or benchmark-equivalent coverage requirements, as such terms are defined by federal law as of January 1, 2021.
The State of South Dakota may not impose greater or additional burdens or restrictions on eligibility or enrollment standards, methodologies, or practices on any person eligible under this section than on any person otherwise eligible for Medicaid under South Dakota law.
No later than March 1, 2023, the Department of Social Services shall submit all state plan amendments necessary to implement this section to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The State of South Dakota shall take all actions necessary to maximize the federal financial medical assistance percentage in funding medical assistance pursuant to this section.
This section shall be broadly construed to accomplish its purposes and intents. If any provision in this section or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid or unconstitutional, such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect other provisions or applications of the section that can be given effect without the invalid or unconstitutional provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this section are severable.
Initiative Measure 27
Title: An initiated measure legalizing the possession, use, and distribution of marijuana.
Attorney General Explanation: This initiated measure legalizes the possession, use, and distribution of marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia by people age 21 and older. Individuals may possess one ounce or less of marijuana. They may also distribute one ounce or less of marijuana without payment or other consideration.
Marijuana plants, and the marijuana produced from those plants, may be possessed under specific conditions. Marijuana plants may only be grown, and the marijuana from those plants may only be possessed, in counties or cities where no licensed retail marijuana store is available or where allowed by county or city ordinances.
Certain violations of the restrictions the measure places on the possession, use, and distribution of marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia are subject to various civil penalties. Individuals under age 21 can attend drug education or counseling instead of paying a civil penalty.
The measure legalizes substances considered felony-controlled substances under State law. Marijuana remains illegal under Federal law.
Judicial or legislative clarification of the measure may be necessary.
Vote "Yes" to adopt the initiated measure.
Vote "No" to leave South Dakota law as it is.
Fiscal Note: The State and counties could see a minimal decrease in expenses due to decreased incarceration for marijuana-related offenses, and the State could see marginal additional revenue in the form of new civil penalty fines.
Section 1. That title 34 be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
Terms used in this chapter mean:
(1) “Hemp,” the plant of the genus cannabis, and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than three-tenths of one percent on a dry weight basis;
(2) “Local government,” means a county, municipality, town, or township;
(3) “Marijuana,” the plant of the genus cannabis, and any part of that plant, including, the seeds, the resin extracted from any part of the plant, and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of the plant, its seeds, or its resin, including hash and marijuana concentrate. The term includes an altered state of marijuana absorbed into the human body. The term does not include hemp, or fiber produced from the stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of the plant, sterilized seed of the plant which is incapable of germination, or the weight of any other ingredient combined with marijuana to prepare topical or oral administrations, food, drink, or other products;
(4) “Marijuana accessory,” any equipment, product, material, which is specifically designed for use in planting, propagating, cultivating, growing, harvesting, manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, processing, preparing, testing, analyzing, packaging, repackaging, storing, containing, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing marijuana into the human body.
Section 2. That title 34 be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
This chapter does not affect laws that otherwise regulate:
(1) Delivery or distribution of marijuana or marijuana accessories, with or without consideration, to a person younger than twenty-one years of age;
(2) Purchase, possession, use, or transport of marijuana or marijuana accessories by a person younger than twenty-one years of age;
(3) Consumption of marijuana by a person younger than twenty-one years of age;
(4) Operating or being in physical control of any motor vehicle, train, aircraft, motorboat, or other motorized form of transport while under the influence of marijuana;
(5) Consumption of marijuana while operating or being in physical control of a motor vehicle, train, aircraft, motorboat, or other motorized form of transport, while it is being operated;
(6) Smoking marijuana within a motor vehicle, aircraft, motorboat, or other motorized form of transport, while it is being operated;
(7) Possession or consumption of marijuana or possession of marijuana accessories on the grounds of a public or private preschool, elementary school, or high school, in a school bus, or on the grounds of any correctional facility;
(8) Smoking marijuana in a location where smoking tobacco is prohibited;
(9) Consumption of marijuana in a public place, unless permitted by statute;
(10) Consumption of marijuana as part of a criminal penalty or a diversion program;
(11) Conduct that endangers others;
(12) Undertaking any task under the influence of marijuana, if doing so would constitute negligence or professional malpractice; or
(13) Performing solvent-based extractions on marijuana using solvents other than water, glycerin, propylene glycol, vegetable oil, or food grade ethanol, unless permitted by statute.
Section 3. That title 34 be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
This chapter does not:
(1) Require that an employer permit or accommodate an employee to engage in conduct allowed by this chapter;
(2) Affect an employer’s ability to restrict the use of marijuana by employees;
(3) Limit the right of a person who occupies, owns, or controls private property from prohibiting or otherwise regulating conduct permitted by this chapter on or in that property; or
(4) Limit the ability of the state or a local government to prohibit or restrict any conduct otherwise permitted under this chapter within a building owned, leased, or occupied by the state or the local government.
Section 4. That title 34 be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
Subject to the limitations in this chapter, and notwithstanding any other law, the following acts, if done by a person at least twenty-one years of age, may not be an offense under state or local law, regulation, or ordinance; be subject to a civil fine, penalty, or sanction; be a basis for detention, search, or arrest; be a basis for the denial of any right or privilege; or be a basis for asset seizure or forfeiture:
(1) Possessing, using, ingesting, inhaling, processing, transporting, delivering without consideration, or distributing without consideration one ounce or less of marijuana, except that not more than eight grams of marijuana may be in a concentrated form;
(2) Possessing, planting, cultivating, harvesting, drying, processing, or manufacturing not more than three marijuana plants and possessing the marijuana produced by the plants, if:
(a) The plants and any marijuana produced by the plants in excess of one ounce are kept at one private residence, are in a locked space, and are not visible by normal, unaided vision from a public place;
(b) Not more than six plants are kept in or on the grounds of a private residence at one time; and
(c) The private residence is located within the jurisdiction of a local government where there is no licensed retail store where marijuana is available for purchase pursuant to this chapter.
(3) Assisting another person who is at least twenty-one years of age, or allowing property to be used, in any of the acts permitted by this section; and
(4) Possessing, using, delivering, distributing, manufacturing, transferring, or selling to persons twenty-one years of age or older marijuana accessories.
Section 5. That title 34 be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
A person who commits the following acts is subject to a civil penalty not exceeding the amount specified:
(1) Violates section 4(2)(a) of this chapter by cultivating marijuana plants that are visible by normal, unaided vision from a public place, two hundred and fifty dollars.
(2) Violates section 4(2)(a) of this chapter by cultivating marijuana plants that are not kept in a locked space, two hundred and fifty dollars.
(3) Smokes marijuana in a public place, other than in an area licensed for such activity by the department, one hundred dollars.
(4) Is under twenty-one years of age and possesses, uses, ingests, inhales, transports, delivers without consideration or distributes without consideration one ounce or less of marijuana or possesses, delivers without consideration, or distributes without consideration marijuana accessories, one hundred dollars. The person shall be provided the option of attending up to four hours of drug education or counseling in lieu of the civil penalty.
Section 6. That title 34 be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
This chapter must be broadly construed to accomplish its purposes and intents. Nothing in this chapter purports to supersede any applicable federal law, except where allowed by federal law. If any provision in this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid or unconstitutional, such invalidity or unconstitutionality may not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter that can be given effect without the invalid or unconstitutional provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are severable.
Published twice at the total approximate cost of $265.82 and can be viewed for free at www.sdpublicnotices.com.
Thousands of schoolchildren across South Dakota are facing new barriers to getting proper nutrition at school due to the end of a pandemic-era federal program that provided free meals to all students regardless of parental income.
Parents in South Dakota, meanwhile, are facing new financial challenges as they try to pay for meals for their children at a time when high inflation rates are driving up costs for food, energy, housing and many other necessary goods and services.
Rapid City teacher Bill Egan chats with students after a pizza party in Egan's classroom at East Middle School. Egan provides food to students who can't afford to buy a school meal or forget their lunches at home. Photo: Bart Pfankuch, South Dakota News Watch.
The federal effort to provide free meals to all American schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic expired this summer. The pandemic-era program provided more than 4 billion free meals to American schoolchildren over the past two school years, including to tens of thousands of students in South Dakota.
Sioux Falls School District Superintendent Jane Stavem told News Watch that ending the free school meals program after two years has put the district, parents and children in tough spots.
The district does not have the funding to continue to provide free meals for all students on its own, and is working on innovative ways to continue to pay for food for students who need it.
Parents who got used to free meals for their children for two years are out of the habit of preparing or paying for student meals on their own, Stavem said. Some who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches due to low incomes forgot to reapply for the federal school lunch program and will now have to pay full price for meals.
And children who are not given food by their parents or who cannot afford to buy a school meal on their own are going hungry and can fall behind in class or be unable to concentrate due to hunger, Stavem said.
“They’re just going to be focused on how hungry they are,” she said.
Stavem said districts across the state and nation are trying to navigate a return to paid student meals at a time when inflation is hurting both schools and families. And yet, the student meal issues must be solved, either at the local or federal level, she said.
“We have an obligation as a country that provides a free and appropriate public education for all kids, to also look at the aspects of providing nutrition for all kids,” Stavem said.
School officials across South Dakota told News Watch that a student in need of a meal is not turned away.
However, the inability of a child to obtain adequate levels of nutritious food can affect their development now and well into the future, said Stacey Andernacht, a spokesman for Feeding South Dakota.
“A majority of an individual’s brain development happens from birth to five….so good nutrition is essential for kids and missing those meals is something that can impact a child in a way that makes them less successful in life,” Andernacht said. “When you have kids showing up to school without breakfast or not having lunch, they’e unable to focus, they’re going have problems paying attention, which will lead to learning problems, and they’re also more likely to have chronic health issues because they’re bodies are going without.”
Sioux Falls district officials began contacting parents as early as May 2022 to let them know that the free meal program was likely to end before the 2022-23 school year started, said Gay Anderson, student nutrition director for the district.
Officials wanted to give parents plenty of time to make plans to either reapply for federal meal assistance or prepare to pay for breakfasts and lunches once again.
However, statistics from within the Sioux Falls schools show that far fewer schoolchildren are receiving meals at school so far this year, with rising inflation and the end of the universal free meal program seen as main causes.
In the 2021-22 school year, when meals were free for all of the roughly 25,000 students in the Sioux Falls public schools, the district provided on average 16,500 lunches and 6,800 breakfast meals to students each day.
So far this school year, only about 3,800 students are eating breakfast at school daily (a decline of about 3,000 students, or 44% lower than the prior year); and about 13,400 students are having lunch provided at school daily (a decrease of 3,100 students, or 19% lower than last year.)
Stavem estimates it would cost the school district about $5 million a year to continue the free students meals program without federal funding.
The district is also facing higher costs to provide meals, with food costs up about 18% this year compared to 2021-22 and labor costs significantly higher as well.
Stavem said that despite aggressive efforts by the district to inform parents that they needed to reapply for the free or reduced lunch program when the free meals ended, some families forgot to apply or did not apply for other reasons.
Meanwhile, wages in South Dakota rose during the pandemic as businesses tried to attract and retain employees, but those wage hikes kicked some Sioux Falls families out of the free and reduced lunch program that is based on family income. In the 2019-20 school year, the district had about 11,300 students in the free or reduced lunch program, and only about 400 families were denied entry because their incomes surpassed federal guidelines.
So far in the 2022-23 school year, only 10,400 students are in the free or reduced price lunch program, and 1,042 were denied due to exceeding federal income standards, district data show.
For example, Anderson said she knows of one father whose income was $47 a year too high to qualify for reduced-price school meals. His increased pay clearly did not cover the new costs of paying for meals for his children at school, Anderson said.
Stavem said she sympathizes with parents and especially with students, many of whom are forced to navigate a complicated system involving their parents, their school, federal regulations, a stigma of asking for financial help, and in the end, a need to satisfy their own hunger.
“What it comes down to, regardless of the politics involved in this, is that children are at the mercy of adults for this whole picture … and It is not the fault of that child,” Stavem said. “For us really, it comes down to that bottom line of never wanting to see a child in a lunch line facing that reality of not being handed a meal.”
Need for food high across South Dakota
Feeding South Dakota, the largest provider of charitable food in the state, has seen significant increases in the need for food among adults and children across the state so far this year, said Andernacht, spokesperson for the nonprofit group.
The organization’s backpack program, which provides a backpack full of healthy food to schoolchildren on Fridays so they have food at home for the weekend, has seen a big jump in need among families already this year.
In the first week of the 2022-23 school year, in early September, Feeding South Dakota distributed 3,082 backpacks to children in South Dakota regardless of family income. The following week, distribution of backpacks rose by nearly 30% to almost 4,000 backpacks handed out at the 82 schools served by the program.
The end of the universal free meal program coupled with high inflation are increasing the need for food among lower-income families across the state, Andernacht said. From August 2021 to August 2022, the organization saw a 40% increase in the number of families visiting its mobile food banks in South Dakota. Over the past three months, Feeding South Dakota has served an average about 11,150 families monthly at its mobile food pantries, she said.
“Pandemic-era government programs are ending, and many things, food among them, are incredibly more expensive right now, so that’s a bit of a perfect storm for a lot of our families,” Andernacht said. “And we’re seeing more people use our services for the first time.”
Obtaining and affording healthy food is an even greater challenge for rural residents of South Dakota, where some grocery stores closed during the pandemic and others are charging much higher prices than in more competitive urban areas, she said.
Food insecurity — defined as the inability to afford or get access to sufficient amounts of healthy foods — remains a nagging problem in South Dakota, both for those families with low incomes and for those who make a living wage. According to the Feeding America Map the Meal Gap database, nearly 75,000 South Dakota residents (about 9% of the population) were considered food insecure in 2020, and only half of those qualify for some level of federal food assistance. Food insecurity was highest in Native American communities and reservation areas, according to the database.
The data show also that in 2020 about 29,000 children in South Dakota were considered food insecure, with about a quarter of those unable to qualify for any federal food assistance. With 13.6% of all children in South Dakota facing food insecurity, the state has the highest rate of food insecurity among children in all neighboring states, according to the database: North Dakota (4.8%), Minnesota (6.0%), Iowa (7.3%), Montana (8.5%), Nebraska (9.8%), and Wyoming (10.2%).
Andernacht added that the universal school meal program in place during the pandemic reduced the potential stigma attached to receiving free or reduced meals at school, Andernacht said, because all students received free meals and not just those who income qualify.
“That was a nice thing about the free lunches for all is that it removed that stigma because everybody was getting the same thing,” she said. “In the Midwest, we are proud and it’s hard for people to ask for help, so we work try to remove that stigma because it’s more important than anything to receive good nutrition.”
Free and reduced-price student meals are provided under the National School Lunch Program, which in Fiscal 2020 provided 3.2 billion student meals, 77% of which were at a free or reduced rate. The following year, the program provided 2.2 billion meals, 99% of which were free. The federal school lunch program cost $14.2 billion in 2019, according to the USDA.
In the current school year, a family of four can qualify for free school lunches if their gross annual income is $36,000 or less; a family of four can qualify for reduced-price lunches if they make less than $51,000 a year.
Anderson said the prices for student meals are kept as low as possible, and that right now, the Sioux Falls district is losing money on each meal sold to students.
The cost for hot lunch is $3.05 per meal for elementary students and $3.25 for middle and high schoolers; breakfast costs $2.15 per meal at the elementary level and $2.25 for all others. That means a parent who doesn’t qualify for government assistance or who has not applied for help pays about $110 a month to feed a child at school, Anderson said.
One teacher’s fight against hunger
Rapid City geography teacher Bill Egan feels pain in his heart when he thinks that any student might be hungry and is unable to get the food they need.
Egan, along with other teachers at his school, have long provided snacks for students who might need a boost of nutrition to make it through the day or to someone who forgot their lunch.
But since the universal free meal program ended, Egan has witnessed a far greater number of students who need help.
“This year, I noticed there are so many kids not eating and you ask them why, and they say they can’t afford it or they have zero money in their lunch accounts,” Egan said “Their parents’ real income has gone down with inflation, so some parents are struggling to feed their kids.”
For the first few weeks of the new school year, Egan has spent his own money at Sam’s Club to buy bulk orders of “Lunchables,” the prepackaged trays of snacks that typically include slices of turkey, cheese, crackers and fruit (some also include a single cookie.)
Along with bags of chips and snacks he keeps in his classroom at East Middle School in Rapid City, Egan has a dormitory fridge stocked with Lunchables that he discreetly gives to students who don’t have money for hot lunch or who didn’t bring a lunch to school.
“I told the kids that if they can’t afford their lunch, or they forget their lunch, to come see me and I will give them a Lunchable,” Egan said. “I probably go through eight to 10 Lunchables a day at this point.”
For Egan, that expense is well worth it. Egan is 71 years old and has two retirement plans in place from his previous career as a police officer in Rapid City and then as a teacher in Texas. He’s taught in Rapid City for seven years.
“I just don’t want to see a kid go hungry,” he said. “When it costs me 97 cents from Sam’s to feed a kid, then I’m going to do it.”
Egan said he treats students with kindness and respect, and his approach is returned in full by students who work hard in his class and try to impress him by following the rules and behaving well.
“I really don’t need the money, so I do this because I genuinely like these kids,” he said. “I’m a friendly teacher, and I like to create positive relationships with the kids because if the kids like you, they’ll behave for you and do their assignments and get down to work because they don’t want to disappoint you.
Egan said he recently gave a girl $5 so she could buy a meal while on a field trip — no questions asked. He provides snacks to any student who is hungry and pops into his classroom to say hello. Egan said he doesn’t ask students about problems at home, deciding instead to allow students to maintain their privacy and dignity.
One student of separated parents told Egan that when she stays with her mother, she gets a sack lunch to take to school. But when she says with her father, she goes to school hungry.
“I have kids that are sharing their lunch with other kids because they’re friends and they don’t want them to go hungry,” he said.
On a recent day at the school, Egan spent about $100 of his own money for several pizzas for a monthly lunch party he hosts for students who get all their work done and who behave well in school. Students vie to get a party invite, and Egan rotates the roster so more children have a chance to grab a slice or two (or three!). Egan said he noticed that some students who were about to miss out on the party in September had quickly caught up on all their work in order to attend.
As Egan spoke with a reporter from News Watch, students who had finished scarfing down on pizza chatted and giggled in Egan’s classroom.
“He’s the best teacher ever,” one girl shouted out.
Egan, touched by the comment, said softly, “Well, that’s nice to hear. I think they know I care about them.”
Egan said he will continue to provide food for students who need it, and even his friends have joined the effort.
“I had a guy at the Moose Lodge give me $70, and he said, ‘Buy them some food for me,’” Egan said.
Egan said he hopes the federal government can find a way to bring back the universal free school meals program and make student nutrition a greater priority in America.
“We didn’t have this problem the last two years, because kids could all get free breakfast and lunch,” he said. “We should not live in a society where kids go hungry, period. In a nation that’s supposed to be the richest nation in the world, and the best country in the world to live, we should not have kids hungry in our schools. We can send billions of dollars everywhere else, but we need to take care of our future, and our future is our kids.”
— This article was produced by South Dakota News Watch, a non-profit journalism organization located online at SDNewsWatch.org.
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