Hello Kadoka Area,

It seems the new year has our students more active than the last. Most days of the week, there is an activity going on with our students. Amid this busy time, a scene in the background has our attention. The legislature is starting their session in Pierre, which will affect every aspect of our school. 

You say, “Really? Every aspect?” Yes. Ultimately, our state-funded school is dependent on the decisions the legislature passes down. What happens over the next few months will inevitably affect policy and our school’s continued function. The power of the legislature isn't a bad thing. These decisions are made by elected representatives, so it is a tenant of democracy that our voice is heard each spring.

As a principal, I reflect on my interest in the political process each year, and there is one memory I hold dear. As an elementary student, our school took students to the legislature in my home state of North Dakota. One time, I witnessed a young girl standing in front of a committee asking the legislature to change the N.D. state bird to the chicken. Funny as it seemed, I was impressed with her arguments and the time she put in to explaining them as she stood in front of men and women much older than she. I realized that even someone as young as I was at the time could make a difference. Although the girl was not successful in her effort, that was the moment I truly came to love democracy and the life it gave us. It is something worth defending because even someone as young as 12 years old can stand in front of powerful people, state their point of view and be respected.

This legislative season, consider this: do you have a young person in your life who would benefit from seeing our great state function? Would you be able to make time for a trip to Pierre to watch the tremendous democratic process unfold? Much like one day in a classroom can change the trajectory of a student's educational path, so can a day with a loved one learning the greatness of democracy and the states that serve it.

Sincerely,

Robert Lukens

MS/HS Principal

Kadoka Area High School