Wagner Community School

2011-12 Profile

Wagner Community School is located in south east South Dakota in Charles Mix County. Three small communities make up the Wagner Community School District including Marty, Dante, and Wagner. The district consists of 330 square miles of total area with 2200 acres of Yankton Sioux Tribal land within it.

Being close to the Missouri River, the school district lies in a rich area of hunting and fishing. Just twelve miles from the town of Wagner is Lake Francis Case and the Fort Randall Dam, a prime location for fisherman and water sports. Public hunting grounds are easily accessed in the school district providing many hunting opportunities in the area.

Wagner has a progressive business community with a chamber that is actively pursuing potential business activities. Wagner hosts a local Rotary club, Horizons project, and employs an Economic Developer. The Boys and Girls Club of the Yankton Sioux is located by the city park and offers positive activities for youth in the community.

Wagner Community School District's population is of mixed cultures consisting mainly of Native American and Caucasian students. The Native American population of students in the district is predominantly made of members of the Yankton Sioux Tribe. This make-up of the student population provides an atmosphere for all students to learn from others who may have different backgrounds than themselves. Many of our students are considered to be economically disadvantaged. In 2010-2011, the percentage of students that qualified for free or reduced lunches was at 72%. A fairly high mobility rate is also a concern that must be addressed in the Wagner Community School District.

Students are bussed a total of 760 miles per day to school from throughout the school district to one attendance center is Wagner, which is a preschool through 12^th grade center. In 1999, the district completed a building addition that houses the 5^th-8^th grades. In 2004, a new gymnasium, weight room, and locker rooms were added on. A state of the art early learning center was completed in fall of 2006 to serve students ages 3-5 in a partnership with South Central Child Development Inc. In the fall of 2010, a new kitchen and commons serving area were finished and put to use, along with new elementary and secondary office areas. In the year 2011, a business office addition with parking area was completed, along with a remodel for Middle School offices.

Class sizes in the district are small to provide more one-on-one contact between teachers and students. District wide, the student to teacher ratio is 13-to-1. The teaching staff has an average of 12 years of experience and the district also employs seventeen paraprofessionals to insure that each student is getting the individualized attention that they need to obtain the education that they deserve. Wagner Community School District provides an after school learning center which provides extra tutoring for students who need it or would like to use it.

Technology is an area of strength within the Wagner Community School District. There are currently 750 computers in use in the district. Wagner Community High School is a one to one laptop initiative school. This project has increased the use of technology in the classroom dramatically. Combining the laptop usage with SMART boards in nearly every classroom, technology has become a critical tool for education in the classroom. The district has two updated distance education lab to provide distance learning opportunities to students, staff, and community members.

A career and technical education program has been incorporated into the middle school level. Twenty five modules are used to teach students about career possibilities and practical applications of academic skills learned in the classrooms. The visiting STARBASE trailer and consultants have also brought science to the forefront of the middle school students' day.

Wagner Community School offers a wide variety of programs to enhance students' educational experience including Reading First strategy based reading programs K-3, Orchard, One-To-One Laptop Initiative, and a universal preschool. The district also employs a Reading Instructional Coach, Math Coach, Cultural Resource Specialist, and a Technology Integrationist. Another focus for the district is that of Jobs for American's Graduates (JAG) program. This program provides career oriented training and future focused planning for a core group of students. It provides a link from school to home and some additional experiences for students outside of the realm of a regular school day. The JAG program also provides community service and leadership opportunities. During the 2011-2012 school year, the freshman students will be experiencing Project Based Learning classes in an English/multi-media combination class.