We give thanks for all the wonderful things our students do each day. Most of all, we thank those that take the time to get their child to school each day diligently. One of the most underappreciated facts about PK-12 education is that the chief factor in receiving an education is access. Access is triggered by effort outside of the school, coming from parents and guardians who care. Without the daily effort of these individuals to get their kids to school, no learning can take place. With Thanksgiving Day quickly approaching, as well as Thanksgiving break, we give thanks to all the parents and guardians who create access for the young ones around them.
Without your unsung effort, no amount of time from any individual in our school district can change the course of a student’s life. Further, our society is built on millions of unspoken heroes who make student growth possible. A study from 2018 showed that the community would spend an extra $400,000 on additional law enforcement alone for each school dropout. Therefore, it isn’t I who give thanks for the effort of our parents and guardians, but every taxpayer who can pay a few more bills because of the lack of tax commitment shown to come from education by a community.
In the past month, we were fortunate to host the SoDak 16 Class A state volleyball qualifiers in Kadoka. Teams from Parkston, Winner, Hill City, and Rapid City were able to travel to our humble community and vie for a chance to compete at the state tournament at the Monument. This event, and this opportunity, was made possible by a commitment from those we give thanks for today in this column. Other administrations have thanked me for our work in the SoDak 16, but we made their kids’ lives memorable. Everyone in our community reading this gave their time, money, effort, and resources to make our new athletic facility possible. We recognize those who made that possible are the same, or descendants of, those that we benefit from in at- tendance each day. To all, thank you, as I hope you have gathered in this column today, everyone’s action in this school may seem small at the time. However, even a mustard seed on your part can grow to change everything in the system. Thank you!
In support of the Kougars,
Mr. Robert Lukens
MS/HS Principal