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Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/29/26

Key Takeaways

  • The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District broke ground on a new K–12 campus spanning more than 100 acres and designed to serve about 1,326 students.
  • The project will include a 331,000-square-foot academic facility, housing, athletic and recreation spaces, and dedicated areas incorporating Lakota language, culture, and traditions.
  • Funded through the Great American Outdoors Act, the multi-phase project is intended to replace outdated facilities, accommodate enrollment growth, and serve families across a 1,600-square-mile area.

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers on the facility, which was designed to honor Lakota culture.

The project will include a 331,000-square-foot academic facility, student dorms, staff quarters, outdoor recreation and athletic facilities, and bus and maintenance spaces. The first phase of the multi-phase construction process is scheduled to begin in early 2027.

“The Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School represents something truly unique in our portfolio,” said Valerie Peterson, AIA, LEED AP, Wold Education Practice Leader. “Our role has been to listen to CRST tribal leaders, educators, students and families and to translate what we heard into spaces that honor Lakota culture and identity. Wold has spent years alongside the CRST and the school district advocating for the resources this community needs to see a project of this scale and significance through. It's a privilege to assist in that investment and to be trusted with a project this transformative.”

The campus will have the capacity for about 1,326 students and comply with Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) requirements while incorporating dedicated Lakota Language and Culture rooms, as well as a ceremonial outdoor-learning courtyard. Extracurricular amenities will include an auditorium seating 1,000, a gymnasium seating about 2,600, and football and track facilities.

According to the news release, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) selected the proposed project in 2021 as one of two to receive funding through the Great American Outdoors Act. The goal is to upgrade outdated facilities with a more modern campus and address recent enrollment growth.

“This is a rare opportunity for our students and our Tribe, and we have to get it right,” said CRST Tribal Projects Director Lyle Smith. “The design team helped us work through a complicated process and find practical solutions that met the requirements, prioritized our needs and could be maintained here. This campus will serve our students and the Tribe for many years.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

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