We are dedicated to advancing, protecting and securing Alternative Instruction rights in South Dakota.
Sign up for our email bulletins to stay on top of issues that might affect your rights. We rely on families like you to help us get the word out. It’s an easy way to be active in securing and maintaining our freedoms.
List of South Dakota laws on homeschooling (Alternative Instruction).
Here’s how you can take action:
- Determine which district you live in: It is critical to know which district you live in so you can communicate with your lawmakers. Click here to find your legislative district.
- Email your legislators:We want to establish relationships with our legislators before the session begins. Please individually send your legislators
(1 Senator, 2 Representatives) a personalized email introducing them to your family.
- Tell them a little bit about you, your family, your homeschool and even include some pictures if you like.
- Stress how much you value your parental rights to determine the best upbringing and education for your children and how much you value the freedom that South Dakota offers.
- Tell them it’s important to you to have legislators who also value your parental rights.
- If you moved to SD seeking homeschool freedom, please let them know.
- If you have left the public schools, be sure to tell them why you made that decision.
- Keep it professional and cordial and thank them for their service to our state. IMPORTANT: Be sure to type “Constituent” in the subject line and conclude with your address and phone number in your signature.
Click here to find their emails. Click on their name and it will pull up contact information. Send 3 emails and put their numbers in your phone for quick contacts later.
Get connected and spread the word:
- Make sure you’re getting our emails, sometimes they go to spam, mark them as important so they go to your inbox. Be sure to whitelist us in your email inbox.
- Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
- Spread the word. Make sure that everyone in your community is looped in and receiving updates.
- Partner with us and help provide the funds to pay for our lobbyist. DONATE HERE
One advantage of living in South Dakota is the ability for the average person to engage with their legislators. Your legislators want to hear from you.
Many issues are won because the average citizen wrote and submitted a letter to the local paper, wrote an email or letter, went to a Cracker Barrel/Legislative Coffee on a Saturday morning to talk to them, called them on the phone, or traveled to Pierre and visited with them on the chamber floor.
Citizens are also welcome to attend committee hearings and to testify in person, online or over the phone.
- Who are my legislators?
Find my legislators — Type in your address to find your district and your legislators. - How do I learn about bills?
The South Dakota Legislature Research Council website is very accessible and easy to navigate. On the homepage, you will find buttons to help you locate critical information. The Legislators button will take you to their contact information. The Session button will take you to a list of bills that have been filed. Click on a bill and you can follow it through the process. The Chambers/Committees tab contains more specific information such as agendas, links to bills, links to the members, etc.
Here’s a hot tip: wherever you see a little bird, you can click and listen to testimony and debate, live or recorded. You can also watch videos of the general sessions for each chamber live on SDPB.org or SD.net . Recorded sessions are also available on YouTube. Search “SD Legislative Session 2023.”
If you want to follow a bill closely, sign up for MyLRC and you will receive notifications about the status of the bill.
- How do I contact my legislators?
Simply find their contact info on their listing and give them a call or send an email. Remember to always be polite and professional. If you are a constituent mention that in the email header or right away when speaking. Put the bill number and the way you want them to vote on it in the subject line of the email. “No on Senate Bill 57.” Thank them for their service and taking the time to read your message. Even if they’re voting against us on a current bill we want to maintain a good working relationship for the future.
COMING SOON – a new edition of the SD Civics Guide.
Our Committee Members have worked hard to put together this interactive guide to help families learn more about civics in South Dakota.