One year after being selected as one of five districts nationwide to lead the Real World Learning Challenge Collaborative, Lakota Local Schools is poised to not only be an example for other districts, but continue to expand learning opportunities for its students. The Challenge Collaborative, through Digital Promise’s League of Innovative Schools, is funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI).

Beginning Thursday, August 15, Lakota teachers, administrators and support staff will welcome new and returning students for the start of the 2019-2020 school year. Here is some important information to keep in mind as you and your family gear up for the new school year. From school supplies to bus routes to teacher assignments, we answer all your questions in this back-to-school FAQ.

A free two-week summer camp doubled as a learning opportunity for nearly 40 Lakota elementary students and an internship experience for 10 high-schoolers. or a second year, Camp Potential invited gifted students entering grades 4-6 to participate in eight days of summer learning and enrichment at Hopewell Junior School.

Eleven Butler County school districts, including Lakota Local Schools, participated in a full-scale safety exercise on June 18 at the Ross Local High School and Middle School campus. This is the first time in Butler County history that a safety exercise of this scope has been planned.

Several times a year, Lakota produces a community newsletter to help parents and residents stay informed about important district-wide news and updates. The summer 2019 edition, titled "WE are Graduates", was mailed to all residents this week.

In this final edition of "A Look Around Lakota" for the 2018-19 school year, Superintendent Matthew Miller shares just some of the highlights and happenings that marked the end of a great year.

Art may be considered one of Lakota’s six daily specials, but it’s finding its way into early learners’ routine far more frequently than every sixth day of the school week. Take, for example, Julie Meno’s kindergarteners at Heritage Early Childhood School.

Whoever thought food trucks had nothing to do with math hasn’t met Hopewell Junior teachersMatthew Dollard and Kyle Schlensker. Earlier this year, the duo invited a local food truck, East Coast Eatz, to visit their seventh-graders and serve them lunch. But their visit provided far more value than lunch. The owner shared his success story, giving students a lot of food for thought as they began formulating their own mobile restaurants.

The end of the school year has many students celebrating the start of summer vacation, but for seniors, they’re also looking ahead to what comes next after graduation...and some are even looking back. Adena Elementary School welcomed back 143 seniors from the class of 2019 to take a walk down memory lane. Six years ago, these seniors filled time capsules while in their final year at Adena and, on May 15, had the opportunity to open them for the first time.