By: Kloe Adams

Humor Editor

The Sioux Falls School District, located in South Dakota, announced during a board meeting in November of 2023 that they will be capping participation in boys sports. The new rule arose from a lawsuit and Title IX complaint that the school is facing because of cutting gymnastics from their budget in July. A preliminary injunction by the court is ordering that the funding and sport be reinstated for the 2023-2024 school year, but the school district is trying to appeal that decision. When districts do not comply with Title IX, all their Title funding may be at risk until they fully comply with the terms the court set forth. District community relations coordinator DeeAnn Konrad noted the preliminary injunction decision “highlighted the disparity within the district between the number of male athletes compared to female athletes.”

According to the 2022 Sioux Falls School District’s population of K-12 students, 51.1 percent are males and 48.9 percent are females. Currently, Sioux Falls offers eight sports to male students and 13 sports to female students; however, the male student participation rate exceeds the female rate. Based on the high school athletic records from the 2023-2024 school year the sports participation for males was 58.6 percent and 41.4 percent for females. While the school has not publicly announced how much they will cut or limit boys’ sports participation numbers, even a one percent cut to male participation would leave out 17 to 18 players. The Sioux Falls gymnastics team last year had 57 girls competing. 

Months before the lawsuit and Title IX complaint, board members and administrators were refuting all claims from gymnastics supporters that cutting their sport was in violation of Title IX. Konrad said, in July, that the district was complying with the title’s requirements by expanding sports opportunities for females. The school district added a new softball and wrestling program which resulted in increased athletic participation for girls. 

Konrad did mention, however, in a statement from Nov. 29 that the district intends to work in full compliance with Title IX while the courts and the Office of Civil Rights continue their work. Konrad also said in the statement that the district will take the necessary measures to ensure sports offerings generate equal participation for males and females. Konrad concluded her statement stating, “The Sioux Falls School District ultimately seeks clarification through a ruling on the relevance of Title IX guidance and the ability of school districts to make programmatic decisions for high school activities and athletics programs.”

(Sources: Argus Leader)