Wagner Community School
2022-2023
Wagner Community School is located in southeast 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, Wagner Area Growth, and employs an Economic Developer. The Boys and Girls Club of Missouri River Area 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. 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. In 2021-2022, the percentage of students that qualified for free or reduced lunches was at 100%. The Wagner Community School provides a free breakfast and lunch to all PK – 12 students through the CEP Program.
Students are bussed a total of 760 miles per day to school from throughout the school district to one attendance center in Wagner, which is a preschool through 12th grade center. The Wagner leadership and community have committed to maintaining top-notch facilities to give our students every advantage possible to succeed. Many improvements and additions have been made over the years to include:
1999: Building addition that houses 5th-8th grades.
2004: Building addition of new gymnasium, weight room, and locker rooms.
2006: State of the art Early Learning Center built in a partnership with South Central Child Development Inc. The building serves students ages 3-5.
2010: New kitchen, commons, and serving area along with new elementary and secondary offices.
2011: Business office addition with parking lot and a remodel of Middle School offices.
2014: High School remodel which included new science, business, math, social studies, culinary arts and art classrooms.
2015: Addition of outdoor classrooms, geodome, and wildlife refuge area.
2016: Elementary addition and remodel.
2019: Lighting system at the football/track were replaced and the theater was renovated.
2021: Remodel of the locker rooms and state of the art shop classrooms was completed. Also during this project, a brand new 8-lane track and turf football field was installed.
2022: Building addition with included middle school classrooms, new science labs for middle school and 4th grade, 4th grade classrooms, kindergarten rooms, and support services offices
* A Strategic 5 year Capitol Outlay Plan is maintained by the school board.
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 13.2 years of experience and the district also employs approximately 30 paraprofessionals to ensure 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. The Power of ICU, MTSS and PBIS also promote student success and responsibility.
Wagner houses three fulltime school counselors. Counselors provide support district wide but are assigned at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. Our school counselors promote character education and support all students and families who are in need. Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services provide long term counseling services for our students. The district has also partnered with Wagner Community Hospital and Indian Health Services to help provide any mental health supports that are needed by our students or families.
The Wagner Community School District is part of the South Central Educational Cooperative located in Tyndall, SD. The South Central Coop provides services in the area of speech/language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, school psychology, and early childhood special education for member schools.
Technology is an area of strength within the Wagner Community School District. There are currently over 1000 technology devices in use in the district, including desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, iPads, Chromebooks, and iPods. Wagner School ensures there is a computer for all students in grades 9-12, and Chromebooks for all students in grades 1-8. Kindergarten classrooms maintain individual technology labs. The increase in availability of devices has increased the use of technology in the classroom. Combining the laptop usage with interactive whiteboards in every classroom, technology has become a critical tool for education.
Educational and extra-curricular activities, designed to benefit students, are offered by the Wagner School District. The district boasts a full range of athletic opportunities, a K-12 art program, as well as vocal and instrumental music programs. High school students may also develop their talents through membership in school organizations such as National Honor Society, HOSA, FFA, Culture Club, Activities Council, and Student Council. Wagner also offers drama and oral interpretation programs as part of the fine arts program.
Wagner Community School offers a wide variety of programs to enhance students' educational experience including Standard Based Curriculum, One-to-One Laptop Initiative, and a universal preschool. Hands on engaged learning is promoted through the use of outdoor education, a geodesic greenhouse, aquaponics, LEGO education, robotics, and daily intervention periods. Another focus for the district Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) program. This program provides career oriented training and future focused planning for a core group of students in grades 7-12.