Farm (Ag Department) to Fork (FACS Department) all through your local school.
This Legislative session will be looking at a proposal that was verbalized by Governor Noem, as well as a few members of both houses. This proposal is an Educational Saving Account (ESA). To be clear, this is not a saving account it is a “Voucher”. This voucher is to offer publicly paid tax funds to individuals that wish to go to private school, choose to homeschool or use some level of alternative education. This proposal has been identified as a plan to provide vouchers for roughly 1000 students at $3,000/student that are choosing to not attend public school (provided by the public and the public tax dollars).
What many don’t realize is there are roughly 21,000 students that identify as private school, homeschool or alternative schooling. Please realize that this voucher system WILL NOT simply stay available to only 1,000 of those students but will grow thus taking more and more publicly paid taxes away from state budget items (such as public schools). Simple math shows that offering 21,000 students a voucher of $3,000 could eventually become more than $60,000,000 of funding from your public taxes that will no longer go to public need. Instead these public tax dollars will fund schooling outside the already publicly offered education that our community and society offer as a choice for education.
This voucher DOES NOT prohibit school choice! School choice has been in place for centuries. What this voucher proposal does is take your public tax dollars and use them for private/individual education.
Attached for your information is the SD Public Schools Coalition - The Truth About Vouchers and also the Resolution of Opposition to School Vouchers adopted by our Belle Fourche School Board on January 13, 2025.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this proposed voucher system, please contact me.
Thank you,
R. Orion Thompson, Ed.S
Superintendent of Schools
Belle Fourche School District 9-1
2305 13th Avenue, Belle Fourche, SD 57717
605-723-3355 ext. 1
Families practice math and literacy skills together at a Winter Beach Party!
Elementary learners and their families came to play some math and literacy games and enjoy a free meal at South Park Elementary on Thursday. Everyone left with some gained knowledge, a few prizes, and smiles on their faces.
Don't forget that tonight is Family Literacy Night at the South Park Gym, from 5-6:30. The first families in the door will receive these awesome gifts! We hope to see you all there!
6th graders working with clay for art class.
Important Update for Middle School Band!
The Middle School Band Concert will be on its original date of January 20th, not on the 27th. It will be held in the Middle School gym at 6:30 pm. Please contact Miss Bratcher with any questions.
We always look forward to our elementary Christmas programs and are so grateful for the support from everyone who came out to cheer on our amazing students! Thank you for making this event even more special! Pictured is the 4th Grade performing "Proud of our Veterans", directed by elementary music teacher Lindsey Haber.
Superintendent Thompson had the difficult task of judging the doors for the BFHS Student Council's annual Holiday Door Decorating Contest. The stakes were high, and the competition quickly heated up. The leaders rose to the top of the class with three stunningly intricate door designs. The 3rd place winner was Mrs. Musilek's Oh Chem-is-Tree. Schlek's ( the Library) version of the Polar Express-All Aboard was awarded 2nd place, and the winner is.....
Mr. Pennel as Elf with his 3D Christmas Tree door design.
National Honor Society has all the gifts delivered from the "Giving Bell Tree" to be gifted to local youth! Thanks to this wonderful giving community for helping to make this project a success!
Grade level teams met today to look at student data and make informed decisions on how to best support our students at BFMS. The Middle School has implemented "Bronc Time" in all grade levels to support students in reading and math. (Pictured is the 5th grade team.)
6th grade students made some great replicas for their Ancient Greece presentations in Mr. Esmay's class.
Students wrapped up classes for the semester. Now they are getting in the holiday spirit with festive puzzles!
Check out our Students of the Month for November at BFMS!
Lunchtime Solutions Coloring Contest Winners! Love the creativity!
Belle Fourche Special Olympics Basketball vs Spearfish
7th Graders worked this week on their Senior Gift Boxes service project - Making Angels & Trees & Ornaments, Oh My!
We are hoping to be able to host a driver's education program in Belle Fourche starting in late January or early February of 2025. If you have interest in your student taking this course, please fill out the survey below. Students must be 14 years of age when the first day of class begins.
https://forms.gle/42EB5K1RcN81hYhw7
Our NHS head elves, Lydia, Allie, and Bailey, are working hard to get gifts to our local youth in need! "Giving Bell Trees" are set up at SouthPark, middle school, and high school. Pick up a bell to get a gift idea for a child in need. All gifts stay local! Gifts must be returned by Dec. 17. We are also in need of gift bag and wrapping paper donations to wrap the gifts!
Yesterday a few BFHS band students participated in the annual Tuba Christmas event hosted in Spearfish!
This Monday! Come see the BFHS Jazz Combo and the BFMS Jazz ensemble play some jazz standards as well as some familiar christmas tunes!
