Whether it’s legislation to decide when to start children in school, a school board’s vote about science curriculum in the classroom, or the state’s department of education moving toward consolidation of a cluster of schools, the mark of South Dakota idealism shapes conversations and debates about education every day in the Black Hills.
The conversation about early childhood education in the Black Hills took a different direction in 2006 when the state legislature passed a law that required children to attend kindergarten prior to age 7. It wasn’t a law that directly affected many families – almost all children were already attending kindergarten by that age – but it gave new fuel to a long-term debate about pre-kindergarten education. South Dakota is only one of ten states that does not offer Pre-K funding.
South Dakota has 152 public K-12 schools, 49 non-public schools and 20 tribal schools. During the last couple years, the state has not been immune to the nation’s struggle to recover from one of the largest economic downturns in history. Budget shortfalls at every level of government have called into question how public education should be evaluated, funded and improved.
Higher education in the state of South Dakota has long stood as a testament to the western ideal of independence. One of the least populated states in the nation, South Dakota nevertheless supports 12 public higher education institutions and 12 private institutions, including Black Hills State University in Spearfish and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City.
Career and Technical education (CTE) in South Dakota is anchored in four institutions located around the state: Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, Mitchell Technical Institute in Mitchell, Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls and Western Dakota Technical Institute in Rapid City.
Perhaps one of the most telling signs of the desire to continue learning beyond formal education is the thriving Community Education program in the Black Hills. Hundreds of local residents take advantage of Community Education classes each year, which a variety of classes – from fly fishing to belly dancing, scuba diving to canine communication. Check out what classes and programs are available through the Community Education program.
