Kickapoo Nation School

Kickapoo Nation School is a K-12 tribal school in Powhattan, Kansas, United States. It is affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIE).[1] It is the sole tribal school in the state.[2] The school is 6 miles (9.7 km) north of the Kickapoo Indian Reservation.[3] The school serves, in addition to Kickapoo people, the Potawotami tribe and the Sac and Fox tribe.[4]

History

In 1981 it moved into its current facility, which was formerly used by another school.[3]

In 2004 Brent Wasko of the St. Joseph News-Press reported that area residents did not positively perceive the school, and that the school community was working to fight that perception.[4]

Operations

The Kansas Department of Education considers Kickapoo School a "nonpublic" school.[2] The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) counts it as a public school.[5]

As of 2006 it admits students not registered in Native American tribes but charges them tuition for them as the BIE only gives money for enrolled members of tribes; a non-tribal family price as of that year was $200 per semester or $100 for one student.[2]

Curriculum

It has a bilingual English-Kickapoo language program, the only such program in Kansas for an indigenous American language.[2] The school made efforts to preserve the language.[3]

According to the Topeka Capital-Journal, by 2006 there was positive attention on the school's BIE-funded Family and Child Education (FACE) program which has home-based education for both parents and children.[2]

As of 2006 the school did not have funds to have laptops for their students compared to public schools that received more funding. However beginning in fall 2006 it planned to establish a virtual learning program to make up for subject matters in which it lacks on-site teachers.[2]

Student body

In 2004 it had 91 students, all of them being Native American.[4] In 2016 it had 58 students. Many students come from the Kickapoo reservation and a number reside in Topeka.[3]

Staff

In 2016 it had eight teachers.[3]

Athletics

As of 2006 because of relatively low enrollment numbers, athletic programs often struggled to find enough students.[2] In 2004 the track team had seven members.[4] By 2016 it was making an attempt to form a track team but it had no athletic teams at all at the moment.[3]

References
  1. "Kickapoo Nation School". Bureau of Indian Affairs. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  2. Biles, Jan (2006-09-24). "School becoming known for innovative programs". The Daily Journal. Flat River, Missouri. Topeka Capital-Journal. p. 12. - Clipping from Newspapers.com. Also at: Biles, Jan (2006-09-24). "Kickapoo school becoming known for innovative programs". The Manhattan Mercury. Manhattan, Kansas. Associated Press. p. A7. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
  3. Weston, Alonzo (2016-03-25). "Native American school tries to save vanishing language". St. Joseph News-Press. Retrieved 2021-08-11. - Also at the Washington Times (via Associated Press)
  4. Wasko, Brent (2004-05-02). "Uphill struggle: Kickapoo School fights negative perception". St. Joseph News-Press. pp. D1, D6. - Clipping of first and of second page at Newspapers.com.
  5. "Kickapoo Nation School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2022-07-21.

39.7589°N 95.6355°W / 39.7589; -95.6355


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