Lakota Tech High School

Lakota Tech High School is a public high school in unincorporated Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, near the Pine Ridge census-designated place and with a Pine Ridge postal address.[1] It is in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It is a part of the Oglala Lakota County School District.

Its high school program is one of five high schools that are within the boundaries of the reservation.[2] Additionally, of all of the public high schools on Indian reservations, it is the only one focusing on technical and career-oriented curricula.[3]

History

Previously the district did not operate a high school building and required high school students staying with the district to attend virtual school.[4]

In August 2019 the district and the state of South Dakota began a partnership to establish the first non-Bureau of Indian Education public high school on the reservation.[5] Kristi Noem, Governor of South Dakota, jointly announced this with management of the school district.[6]

In July 2019 the district hired Stephanie Eisenmenger as the first principal.[7] Groundbreaking occurred in November 2019. There were plans to open in-person use of the school earlier, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Dakota the school itself was not yet open in July 2020. It is centered on career and technical education (CTE).[8] The district had anticipated that about 100 students would enroll at the school.[9] The school opened in fall 2020.[10]

The enrollment at the end of the 2020-2021 school year was almost 400.[9]

In 2022 the Lieutenant Governors' STEM Scholarship Program gave the school $1,000 as an award because the curricula had science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content, and the funds were to be used on weather-related content.[3]

Athletics

By February 2021 the gymnasium opened, and that month it began its athletics programs; the school is not under tribal law so, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it did not have to follow tribal directives to end athletics temporarily. This meant would-be athletes transferred to Lakota Tech.[10] In November 2020 the South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) decided that a student wishing to participate in a school athletics program at a particular school may move to that school if the student's previous school had suspended its own athletics programs.[11]

See also

References
  1. "Home". Lakota Tech High School. Retrieved 2022-01-11. 14 New Wolf Creek Road Pine Ridge, SD 57770 - Compare with the Pine Ridge CDP map. The school has a Pine Ridge postal address but is not in the CDP.
  2. Haenchen, Brian (2020-08-13). "Multiple Native American schools opt to cancel or suspend fall sports; All Nations pushed to spring". Argus Leader. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  3. "Lakota Tech receives STEM award". Rapid City Journal. Rapid City, South Dakota. 2022-08-19. p. A3. - Clipping at Newspapers.com.
  4. Kaczke, Lisa (2019-08-29). "South Dakota, Oglala Lakota schools to construct first public high school on Pine Ridge". Argus Leader. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  5. Murat, Megan (2019-09-18). "Work continues in constructing Oglala Lakota County high school". News Center 1. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  6. "State, Oglala Lakota school district agree to build high school on Pine Ridge Reservation". Rapid City Journal. 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  7. Crash, Tom (2019-08-15). "SCHOOLS START SOON". Lakota Times. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  8. Dickens, Chelsea (2020-07-22). "Lakota Tech registration begins but district's back to school plan is "work in progress"". KNBN News Center 1. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  9. "Lakota Tech High School finishes first year". KNBN News Center 1. 2021-06-04. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
  10. Case, Matt (2021-02-04). "First-year Lakota Tech hoops enjoying the benefits of transfers across the Pine Ridge Reservation". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  11. Case, Matt (2021-02-05). "Talented gathering". Rapid City Journal. Rapid City, South Dakota. pp. B1, B3. - See first and second page at Newspapers.com.

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