In October 2019, the Harrisburg School District formed a committee to consider possible boundary changes. Analyzing building capacities and growth trends necessitated the committee to discuss short- and long-term district needs. These considerations led to recommendations presented to the school board.
Several factors allowed the committee to take a comprehensive approach to planning for growth, looking one year, five years, ten years, and 20 years into the future, including:
- The delay of opening Elementary #7 due to record precipitation
- Time constraints
- Continued record growth
- Sioux Falls & Harrisburg growth projections
- Best educational practices
- Consultation with other districts
After gathering input through staff and public engagement meetings, new scenarios were run to incorporate feedback and a survey was sent out district wide. With all factors considered, the school board moved to set new school boundaries at both the elementary and middle schools to accommodate growth in the district.
Elementary School Boundary Changes
Students residing within the borders listed will attend that respective elementary school beginning 2021 – 2022 school year.
Explorer:
- Southern Border: 85th Street, Sioux Falls
- Western Border: District Boundary
- Northern Border: District Boundary
- Eastern Border: Louise Avenue
Current families residing at Rambler Place may remain at Explorer. (Area "D" on map)
Endeavor:
- Southern Border: Highway 106
- Western Border: Louise Avenue
- Northern Border: District Boundary
- Eastern Border: Western Avenue
All District Tiger Reserve students will attend Elementary #7.
Journey:
- Southern Border: Highway 106
- Western Border: Western Avenue
- Northern Border: District Boundary
- Eastern Border: Cliff Avenue
Current Horizon students who reside in this new boundary will remain at Horizon.
Horizon:
- Southern Border: Highway 106
- Western Border: Cliff Avenue
- Northern Border: District Boundary
- Eastern Border: District Boundary
Current Liberty students who reside in this new boundary will remain at Liberty. (Area "C" on map)
Current students West of Cliff Ave. will remain at Horizon. (Area "B" on map)
Non-school aged younger siblings of current Horizon students may remain at Horizon. (Area "B" on map)
Freedom:
- Southern Border: District Boundary
- Western Border: Minnesota Avenue
- Northern Border: Highway 106
- Eastern Border: Cliff Avenue
To include the following section (Area "A" on map):
- Southern Border: 272nd Street
- Western Border: Cliff Avenue
- Northern Border: Highway 106
- Eastern Border: Southeastern Avenue
Liberty:
- Southern Border: District Boundary
- Western Border: Cliff Avenue
- Northern Border: Highway 106
- Eastern Border: District Boundary
- Not Including the following section (Area "A" on map):
- Southern Border: 272nd Street
- Western Border: Cliff Avenue
- Northern Border: Highway 106
- Eastern Border: Southeastern Avenue
All District Tiger Reserve students will attend Elementary #7.
Elem. #7:
- Southern Border: District Boundary
- Western Border: District Boundary
- Northern Border: Highway 106
- Eastern Border: Minnesota Avenue
-AND-
- Southern Border: Highway 106
- Western Border: District Boundary
- Northern Border: 85th Street, Sioux Falls
- Eastern Border: Louise Avenue
All District Tiger Reserve students will attend Elementary #7.
The board moved to direct administration to explore moving “choice programs” such as Junior Kindergarten and Early Childhood from Explorer and incoming Tiger Reserve students from Horizon to other buildings for the 2020 – 2021 school year to help alleviate overcrowding.
Middle School Boundary Changes
Students residing within elementary boundaries listed below will attend that respective middle school next year (2020 – 2021 school year):
North Middle School:
- Explorer Elementary
- Journey Elementary
- Endeavor Elementary
- Horizon Elementary - Current 6th & 7th Grades
Allowing open enrollment of siblings of current 5th grade Horizon students to South Middle School.
South Middle School:
- Horizon Elementary Current 5th Grade
- Liberty Elementary
- Freedom Elementary
The board moved to direct administration to explore options to allow open enrollment from North Middle School to South Middle School for the 2020 – 2021 and 2021 – 2022 school years.