Students in Sioux Falls Public Schools Return to Classrooms

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Public school students in South Dakota's largest city return to their classrooms Tuesday after an extended summer break.

In April, Sioux Falls residents voted to begin the school year after Labor Day as opposed to the region's more typical mid-August start date. It was a close decision, with 52 percent of voters in favor of changing the school calendar.

The initiative was backed by the Wild Water West water park, a local attraction, and the South Dakota Visitor Industry Alliance, which initiated a failed statewide late-start effort in 2006.

The typical mid-May end date also gets pushed back. Sioux Falls students aren't scheduled to finish the 2015-2016 school year until June 2.

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