Quick! Someone send out a search party for summer because, for all intents and purposes, it's over.

Obviously, Mother Nature hasn't received the memo yet, given it's like 100+ degrees out this week, but trust me, it's over. I say this because today is the first day of school for students in the Sioux Falls Public Schools.

I know a number of other area schools have already been open for several days now. And hopefully, the air conditioning units inside those schools and the ones inside Sioux Falls Public Schools are in tip-top shape, because if there was ever a year when you need a fully functional air conditioner, it's this one, thanks to the "heat dome" that is still hanging over the Sioux Empire for a few more days.

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To this day I still vividly remember the start of the school year when I was attending classes inside the original Washington High School, now known as the Washington Pavilion downtown. Back in those days, there wasn't central air in the building. Some rooms had window air conditioners, some did not. Regardless, this time of year, if you were a student at Washington back in the old days, you were making your own gravy sitting in those packed classrooms from late August through mid-September.

When I was going to high school back in the late 70s and early 80s, Sioux Falls Washington was one, if not the largest school in South Dakota when it came to student enrollment.

Now that the school bells are starting to ring once again here in Sioux Falls, it got me wondering where student enrollment stands today here in the Sioux Empire, so I decided to do a little investigating.

According to the website Niche.com, here are the Top 5 most jammed-packed schools in districts in and around the Sioux Falls area.

#5 Harrisburg High School (Current enrollment of 1,478 students)

Harrisburg High School
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Harrisburg High School has a student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1. According to the most recent state test scores, 33% of students are at least proficient in math and 60% in reading.

#4 Jefferson High School (Current enrollment of 1,505 students)

Jefferson High School
Scott Maguire TSM
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Jefferson is the newest Sioux Falls High School, joining the district in 2021. It has a student-teacher ratio of 17 to 1. At this time, state test score data for Jefferson is not yet available.

#3 Roosevelt High School (Current enrollment of 1,803 students)

Sioux Falls Roosevelt High School
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Built in 1991, Sioux Falls Roosevelt High School has a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1.  According to the most recent state test scores, 40% of students are at least proficient in math and 60% in reading.

#2 Washington High School (Current enrollment of 1,873 students)

Sioux Falls Washington High School
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Sioux Falls Washington High School has been around since 1908, however, the new Washington High School opened in the fall of 2021. It currently is one of the most diverse and highly rated schools in the upper Midwest. Washington High has a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1. According to the most recent state test scores, 33% of students at Washington are at least proficient in math and 57% in reading.

#1 Lincoln High School (Current enrollment of 1,898 students)

Sioux Falls Lincoln High School
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Sioux Falls Lincoln High School holds the crown for the highest student enrollment here in the Sioux Empire. While the hallways might be crowded, and the parking lot packed, the environment of Sioux Falls Lincoln is very welcoming. It has a student-teacher ratio of 17 to 1, and according to the most recent state test scores, 48% of students are at least proficient in math and 71% in reading.

Source: Niche.com

Flashback 1992: Inside Sioux Falls Old Washington High School

The modern marvel that is YouTube never ceases to amaze me. Sure, there's plenty of garbage there, but you can also find some gems.

Who Is Ben Reifel And Why Is A Sioux Falls School Named After Him?

Sioux Falls has a new middle school named Ben Reifel Middle School. It just opened for the 2021 fall school year.

If you've traveled the east side of Sioux Falls you've probably noticed the progress in the school's construction. It is located at Faith Ave. on the cites east side just northeast of Harmodon Park off 41st Street.

Sioux Falls' newest middle school bears the name of Benjamin Reifel, also known as Lone Feather. So who is Ben Reifel?

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