Harrisburg has been my home for the second longest period of time in my life – thirteen years this April. I only lived in one other community for longer – sixteen years in Yankton, my boyhood home.
Frankly, when my wife Donna, our new baby Matt, and our five-year-old Sarah moved here from Brookings, I didn’t figure I’d live here this long. Donna grew up in a small town in Kansas. I rather liked the idea of living in a city the size of Sioux Falls, with lots of shopping, activities, and restaurants.
But Donna ultimately won out, largely because of the Harrisburg school system. We heard wonderful things about the schools – and not just about their great tradition of winning football games. We had heard about good teachers, small class sizes, and a tremendous community pride.
Looking back now, what has happened to Harrisburg? What has it been able to keep of its former self as it becomes one of the fastest growing towns in the nation?
Consider this Todd’s State of the City Address.
On the positive side, Harrisburg is finally developing a sustainable business and professional community. When we arrived, the only food choice was gas station pizza. Now, there are at least five places in town – maybe not on a par with Minervas or Spezia’s, but places to sit down, enjoy a decent meal, and relax.
My family and I can now also obtain professional services here. Thanks to Home Federal Crossing, we have a medical clinic, a chiropractor, a dentist, a gym and a drug store. Throw in a bank and a pretty good sports bar and you’ve got a place where you can get done what you need to get done.
I think this is the single biggest contributor to mine and my family’s quality of life during our stay. It has greatly decreased my trips into Sioux Falls.
On the negative side, I would have to say I am most disappointed in the school, but that is only a recent development. My wife and I have found most of the teachers and administrators to be focused on the job at hand: educating our children while trying to impart some discipline and citizenship to them. I think they are largely successful.
While high school sports remains one of the biggest factors that unifies the community, I have been impressed with the K-12 music programs. The concerts have always been creative and interesting and the kids well trained. With even more money and community support, Harrisburg could also be as well known for its arts as for its sports.
I also think former high school principal Keith Huber is one of the most accomplished educators I have ever met. In my opinion, he was the heart and soul of this community. Besides earning gridiron glory for the Tigers as a football coach, I saw first hand how he worked with troubled kids. His treatment at the hands of the school board was not only a disgrace to a fine man but a horrible loss to Harrisburg.
Similarly, I don’t think the school board has handled the increased enrollment and surrounding issues very well. As many of you know, I have been a vociferous critic of recent school boards and some of their members. Recent boards, in my opinion, have sullied the once sterling reputation of the Harrisburg schools with secrecy and their own agendas.
Fortunately, however, we can do something about the board at the polls as need be.
Taken as a whole, I think the State of City is better now than it was thirteen years ago when I moved here. It is a more vibrant and diverse community. Heck, there is even live music here on many weekends. While a changing community with even more changes and challenges ahead of it, Harrisburg retains its sense of self.
It remains that proverbial “good place to raise your family”—which is probably one of the highest compliments you can pay a community.

– Champion columnist and Harrisburg resident Todd Epp, 49, is an attorney with the Galland Law Firm, P.C. in Sioux Falls. He also blogs about South Dakota politics, government, law, history, and culture at http://www.southdakotawatch.net