Rapid City school board purchases land for future development

RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Rapid City Area School Board approved the purchase of land on the east side of town Tuesday night.

The board voted unanimously to purchase 51.44 acres behind the Shepherd Hill Subdivision for a net purchase cost of $754,413. Shepherd Hill sits east of East North Street, behind Menards.

The plan for the district is to potentially build an elementary school down the road, given the residential growth in the valley putting a strain on Valley View Elementary and East Middle School.

“What we’re trying to do ultimately is really think ahead and be proactive about the areas of our community that are growing and expanding in acquiring land to help serve the community in the best way we can,” said Coy Sasse, Director of Business and Support Services with RCAS.

No timeline currently exists for development. It all depends on district funding and continued population growth trends, like the impact of the upcoming base expansion.

Sasse says the district owns a couple of plots of land in Rapid Valley for potential development in the future. Those plots were also purchased based on the population trends at that time.