State education secretary says Indian education will take time

| Monday, January 22, 2007

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PIERRE -- Improving education for American Indian students is a priority that will take some time, according to State Education Secretary Rick Melmer.

Members of the Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee recently questioned Melmer and staff about Gear Up, a $6.9 million federal program to improve high-school performance, graduation rates and college entry for Indian students.

"It's a huge undertaking," Melmer said. "I know we didn't get here overnight, and we aren't going to get out of it overnight."

Figures from Melmer's agency show a statewide graduation rate among Indian students of 66 percent, compared with 90 percent for all students.

Fewer Indian students go on to college or technical schools, also, reports from the state department show.

Rep. Jim Putnam, R-Armour, said many districts would struggle to participate because it requires a local match for federal money.

"We're in a situation where schools are strapped for funding themselves," Putnam said. "We continually chase our tails at a higher rate of speed."

He said that in the end, "we'll see better students. We're all in this learning curve here."

Rep. Jeff Haverly, R-Rapid City, questioned why the program didn't focus more heavily in areas such as Rapid City, which has a large number of American Indian students in its school system.

Melmer and Keith Moore, head of the state Office of Indian Education, said the goal is to expand the number of students in the program, but they started in schools, largely in or near Indian Country, where the greatest immediate need existed.

The program was modeled after a smaller intense academic program that had operated on the Pine Ridge reservation for several years, Moore said.

Melmer said the program will provide enough of a track record for legislators and others to decide if additional money should go into it.

-- The Associated Press