Summer Updates and Back to School Information

Thursday, May 23 was the last day of school for all Lakota students. We hope that everyone has a safe and fun summer break with family and friends.

Lakota Welcome Center Summer Operations

The Lakota Welcome Center is open year-round, and will be available throughout the summer to welcome families new to the district for the 2024-25 school year.

Please access the Welcome Center homepage for instructions on how to register for school, update your address, withdraw and more. We encourage you to direct all questions to enroll@lakotaonline.com. You may also call the Welcome Center at 513-682-4120 and your call will be returned within 24-48 hours. 

USDA Summer Food Service Program

The Lakota Local School District, in partnership with the Faith Alliance, is participating in the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program this year. Beginning May 28 through Aug. 1 (except for July 4), meals will be provided every Tuesday through Thursday to all children (ages 18 and younger and individuals with disabilities through age 21) free of charge and regardless of income. The summer program is funded through the USDA and implemented at no cost to the district.

Summer meals will be distributed at three different locations. For more information and frequent updates for families, please visit the summer lunch program website. 

Work Permits

Lakota students in need of signed work permits can continue visiting their respective high schools to complete the paperwork. Permits are processed at both freshman and main campuses daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Both freshman campuses will be closed and not be processing permits June 17 through July 8. The main campuses will process permits through 11 a.m. on June 19, reopening on July 8. Visit the work permits landing page for more details and to download the application. 

Back-to-School Dates & Information

Lakota students will begin the 2024-2025 school year according to the following staggered schedule by grade level:

• Preschool: Preschool phase-in days will occur over two days: 
  • Wednesday, Aug. 21 - Only AM preschool students
  • Thursday, Aug. 22 - Only PM preschool students
  • Monday, Aug. 26 - All preschools students 
     
• Kindergarten: Kindergarten Phase-in Days will occur over four days, with each kindergartner attending twice during this time period. In addition to relationship building, this approach helps teachers to assess students' current levels and regroup, as necessary:
  • Thursday, Aug. 15 - Only last names A-L
  • Friday, Aug. 16 - Only last names M-Z
  • Monday, Aug. 19 - Half of kindergarten classes (details to be provided by each school)
  • Tuesday, Aug. 20 - Half of kindergarten classes (details to be provided by each school)
  • Wednesday, Aug. 21 - No kindergarten students (data analysis day for staff)
  • Thursday, Aug. 22 - First day that all kindergarten students will attend together.
     
• Grades 1-12: Students in grades 1-12 will begin the year over a two-day period based on the first letter of their last name.
  • Thursday, Aug. 15 - Only last names A-L
  • Friday, Aug. 16 - Only last names M-Z
  • Monday, Aug. 19 - All students together.

Families with students who have different last names and would like their students to attend school on the same day should inform their child’s homeroom teacher of their preferred day once schedules are released in August.

Similar to recent years, the staggered start model helps put teachers and students in a smaller group setting and accelerate relationship building. For our kindergartners, this staggered start (referred to as "phase-in days" on the academic calendar) includes no school on Aug. 21 for the purposes of data analysis and student regrouping, only as necessary.

Click to view both the printable academic calendar and online academic calendar.

More information, including an FAQ, school supply lists, menus, etc., will be posted on the Back-to-School Hub in July. Check the district and school websites, along with social media accounts, throughout the summer for additional information and general Lakota news. 

Transportation Requests for the 2024-2025 School Year

To ease the transition to a new school year and honor families’ requests for alternative pick-up and drop-off locations for transportation, Lakota is asking that families submit transportation forms by Aug. 1 to receive transportation on the first day of the 2024-25 school year. Note that all transportations forms are now a part of Final Forms, the platform used for all back-to-school forms.

Click for more details on transportation for the 2024-2025 school year.

Complete FinalForms via OneLogin

Parents can now log into FinalForms to review and update their student information for the 2024-2025 school year. Back-to-school forms must be reviewed and updated before the start of the new school year. 

FinalForms, accessed via your parent OneLogin account, is an online system that streamlines the process of completing required forms and provides a "one stop shop" for secure, convenient, mobile-accessible parent/guardian form completion. Get more information about how to use FinalForms. 

School Supply Lists

Lakota will be partnering with TeacherLists, a free platform to help make the process of back-to-school supply shopping even more convenient and cost-effective for families. Look for your school's 2024-2025 supply list on Lakota's school supply lists webpage in early June and get an early start on your back-to-school shopping!