Public high school planned on Pine Ridge Reservation

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Oglala Lakota County school officials plan to partner on building the first local public high school on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Noem said Thursday that building a career and technical education high school in Oglala Lakota County “will bolster the area’s workforce” and “empower students with real-life skills and career opportunities.”

The school district serves 22 communities and operates from virtual locations that can serve 50 to 250 students at a time. The only other high schools on the reservation are private or federal Bureau of Indian Education schools.

District superintendent Anthony Fairbanks says building a physical high school will “create a launch pad for our students’ career development.”

The school is scheduled to open in August 2020 and enroll about 400 students.

AP-WF-08-30-19