St. Francis Indian School

School in South Dakota, United States

St. Francis Indian School is a K-12 Native American school in St. Francis, South Dakota. It is tribally controlled and is affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE).[1]

Lakota people are served by the school.[2]

History

In 1886 the school, initially a Christian elementary school of St. Francis Mission meant to serve Native students with English as a second language, was established. It had 200-person boarding facilities, with all students boarding, and had one building, though a second was later added and the boarding facilities filled. A fire destroyed the existing facilities in January 1916. Concrete replacement facilities were built and school resumed in fall 1916. The high school classes began in 1931. It had a peak enrollment of 500 in the 1940s and 1950s. The dormitories were decommissioned in the 1960s after improvements to the roads were implemented. Tribal control came in 1979.[3] Residents had a positive reception to gaining tribal control.[2]

By 2004 the school began hiring teachers from other countries to fill vacancies.[4]

Curriculum

In 1986, in addition to English and Lakota, the school had the following foreign languages available: German, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. Some languages classes were only open to high school students.[2]

References

  1. ^ "St. Francis Indian School". Bureau of Indian Education. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Holland, Debra (June 29, 1986). "St. Francis School is significant part of Lakota life". Rapid City Journal. Rapid City, South Dakota. p. B1. - Clipping from Newspapers.com
  3. ^ Taylor, Kay (June 29, 1986). "Catholic ministry nurtures heritage at St. Francis". Rapid City Journal. Rapid City, South Dakota. p. B1. - Clipping from Newspapers.com
  4. ^ Schmidt, Brenda Wade (January 26, 2004). "Schools take small steps toward higher achievement". Argus Leader. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. p. 1A, 6A. - Clipping of first and of second page (detail view #1 and detail view #2) at Newspapers.com.

External links

  • St. Francis Indian School
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Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and predecessor agencies
This list is incomplete: It includes schools directly operated by the BIE and those in association with the BIE along with those of predecessor agencies
Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute are BIE-operated universities.
Alaska
Closed
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Now
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Arizona
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No longer BIE-affiliated
Oklahoma
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Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Alaska was formerly a Bureau of Indian Affairs school but is now directly overseen by the State of Alaska

Eight Mile School District (Trenton, ND) was BIE/OIE-funded from 1987 to 2008
See also Template:Department of Defense Education Activity (U.S. military school system)

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Operated by the BIE or a predecessor agency

43°08′27″N 100°54′03″W / 43.1408°N 100.9007°W / 43.1408; -100.9007


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