Kickapoo Nation School facts for kids

Kickapoo Nation School is a special school for kids from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. It's a tribal school located in Powhattan, Kansas, in the United States. This school works closely with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIE), which helps support Native American communities. It's the only tribal school in Kansas! The school is about 6 miles (10 km) north of the Kickapoo Indian Reservation. It welcomes students from the Kickapoo people, as well as the Potawotami and Sac and Fox tribes.

About Kickapoo Nation School

School History

The Kickapoo Nation School moved into its current building in 1981. This building had been used by another school before. In 2004, a newspaper reported that some people in the area didn't have a very good opinion of the school. The school community worked hard to change these ideas and show how great their school is.

How the School Works

The Kansas Department of Education sees Kickapoo School as a "nonpublic" school. However, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) counts it as a public school.

As of 2006, the school could accept students who were not officially registered with a Native American tribe. But, these students had to pay tuition. This is because the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIE) only provides money for students who are enrolled members of tribes. Back in 2006, the cost for a non-tribal family was $200 per semester, or $100 for just one student.

What Students Learn

The school has a special program where students learn in both English and the Kickapoo language. This is the only program like it in Kansas for an indigenous American language! The school works hard to keep the Kickapoo language alive and strong.

By 2006, the school's Family and Child Education (FACE) program was getting a lot of positive attention. This program, funded by the BIE, helps both parents and children learn together at home.

Also in 2006, the school didn't have enough money to give laptops to all its students, unlike some public schools that got more funding. But, starting in the fall of 2006, the school planned to start a virtual learning program. This program would help students learn subjects where the school didn't have a teacher on site.

Who Goes to School Here?

In 2004, there were 91 students at Kickapoo Nation School, and all of them were Native American. By 2016, the number of students was 58. Many students come from the Kickapoo reservation, and some also live in Topeka.

School Staff

In 2016, the school had eight teachers who helped students learn and grow.

Sports and Athletics

As of 2006, it was sometimes hard for the school to find enough students to form sports teams. This was because the school had a smaller number of students overall. For example, in 2004, the track team only had seven members. By 2016, the school was trying to start a track team again, but at that time, they didn't have any athletic teams at all.