Important: Rapid City public schools (Rapid Valley, Box Elder: fit in, credit, homes)

[pikie]

I have a kid(s), and since we will be relocating to your great city and state, I was wondering where the "best" schools in Rapid City are located. Are they in the Westside/Southside areas as well?

From what I researched so far, they all seem good, but I wondering which ones in particular -- are the best.

Thanks again!

[ashnat]

No they're not all good
http://www.rcas.org/SiteCollectionDo...eport_card.pdf
The best schools are on the westside.
Well, actually many elementary schools are ok, but you need to live where the good jr/sr high schools are if you're looking to be here long.
I'm not wild about where my kids will go to jr, so I'm hoping for a new one being built. Dakota is a really old building and they're looking to close it. If that happens, my kids will have to go to North middle school. DON'T live on the north side!

[andyroo]

the schools are all pretty good. I would stick with the westside and southwest side like you said. Pinedale Elementary, Meadowbrook, and Corral Drive are really good. West and Southwest middle schools are where I would send them next. Followed by St. Thomas More or Stevens for high schools. I'm not familiar with any other private schools other than STM.

[DannyBanany]

I'm a Saint Thomas More graduate and it's by far the best school in Rapid City. Of course, tuition is out of the roof but that's a private school for you. I went to Southwest Middle School for sixth grade and I loved it. The school is very nice and new (1990s). And the teachers were great. That's the only public school I went to though. I hear West, South, and Dakota aren't that great and I hear North is excellent because a lot of the teachers work with inner-city kids and kids from bad homes.

For high schools we have Central downtown and for the Southside, Stevens for the Westside, and Douglas for Rapid Valley and Box Elder. Air Force kids go to Douglas too. There's also The Academy and Jefferson for troubled kids. Rapid City Christian High School is an option too. Central is our largest with about 5,000 kids and then Stevens with about 3,000 kids. Saint Thomas More has about 400 kids and they're all from loaded families.

[rjl78]

I am a Rapid City Christian alum. Tuition was quite a bit cheaper than STM, I paid my own way through highschool.

The whole district seems to do well. Wilson Elementary and Dakota Middle school were all part of my education.

[ashnat]

DannyBanany
Rapid Valley goes to Dakota. Kids here ONLY go to Douglas if they live East of Reservoir. That's not that many, most homes are West of Reservoir. My kids will go to Dakota unless it closes.

[andyroo]

saying that STM is the best school BY FAR is just a tad on the biased side....like danny said it only has 400 kids. A smaller school does have many positives but coming from a recent high school graduate a lot of the kids that went to STM are very sheltered, making it a bit more difficult in transitioning to college. I knew about ten kids who transfered from STM to Stevens my senior year and I knew zero kids who transfered from Stevens to STM. Like STM, Stevens excells in athletics as well. Stevens is the newest AA team and has the most state championships.
It all depends on the student and their preferences.

West middle school is a great middle school by the way. The principle has been there for around ten years and has established a good learning environment. They are also very competitive in sports.

[DannyBanany]

People transfer from STM to public schools either because they can't afford the tuition, don't fit in with the wealthy kids, or they don't want to do hard schoolwork. STM is a college-prep school with a very strict dress code and a difficult set of criteria for graduating. Most of my friends that transferred to public school did so because they would not have enough credits to graduate if they stayed at STM. While I was a senior at STM I had a full schedule, on top of required service hours, and I did not get out of school until 3:45. My public school friends got out at 12 and some of them had days where they did not even have to go to school. I also had a part time job after school.

If you apply to any South Dakota college from STM you are practically a shoo-in no matter what grades you got.

[pikie]

Hey Danny!

Is STM that good? It's a college-prep school? State (SD) colleges look heavily on excellence (and completion) obtained from this school? I looked at their tuition rates, and they are cheap compared to Eastern Catholic schools. For my son in elementary school, it would only be $3800 annually. I'm sure it's expensive for Rapid City, but for me -- it's a steal for a good Catholic education.

By the way, my family and I are not Catholic, but think Catholic education is superior.Therefore, are you "forced" to participate in Catholic activities/mass attendance? My family and I are "very" Christian --but we are "simply" Bible students, with no -- organized -- religious affiliation.I don't believe in their Catholic doctrines, but my son will show deep respect for the school leaders.

Thank you

[DannyBanany]

STM is a college-prep school. Beings your son is still in elementary he would go to St. Elizabeth Seton (SES) which is right next to St. Thomas More. I was raised Catholic but many of my schoolmates were not and they still went to Catholic school so your not alone in that category. There are a lot of non-Catholic families that go to SES/STM. None of them were ever "forced" to take part in Catholic traditions but they were expected to be reverent and respectful at Mass and during prayers. Religion courses are mandatory no matter what denomination you are.

Public schools require 19 credits to graduate. STM requires 25, plus mandatory service hours and an internship. Also, public high schools allow off-campus lunch whenever. At STM you have to be a senior to go off campus.