THANK YOU to the Fort Pierre Senior Citizens! The Fort Pierre Senior Citizens kindly shared their appreciation with a generous donation to our Buff Closet and elementary student snacks. They told us this gift is their way of saying thank you, and that they truly enjoy when our students stop by and entertain them.
We didn't capture all the pictures of all the recipients, but we have been able to award Buffalo Heart Awards to students from the following schools:
Herreid/Selby Area
McLaughlin
Gettysburg
Cheyenne-Eagle Butte
Our student-athletes choose who get the awards, and some schools haven't had a recipient just based on the character and sportsmanship they display! Congratulations to those students who have received a Buffalo Heart Award and for the positive attitude, sportsmanship, and character you have shown us as our home events!
Herreid/Selby Area
McLaughlin
Gettysburg
Cheyenne-Eagle Butte
Our student-athletes choose who get the awards, and some schools haven't had a recipient just based on the character and sportsmanship they display! Congratulations to those students who have received a Buffalo Heart Award and for the positive attitude, sportsmanship, and character you have shown us as our home events!
The week of January 11-17 was Officials' Appreciation Week!
We were able to host 2 girls' basketball games and recognize our officials that week with handmade cards, pre-game announcements, and some treats in our officials' room.
Our officials attend clinics, region meetings, complete rules meetings and take
exams in preparation for the sports season every single year. They take time away from their personal schedules and families to provide opportunities for the thousands of student-athletes that participate in SDHSAA activities.
Even though the week is over, please take time to thank an official sometime throughout the school year!
We were able to host 2 girls' basketball games and recognize our officials that week with handmade cards, pre-game announcements, and some treats in our officials' room.
Our officials attend clinics, region meetings, complete rules meetings and take
exams in preparation for the sports season every single year. They take time away from their personal schedules and families to provide opportunities for the thousands of student-athletes that participate in SDHSAA activities.
Even though the week is over, please take time to thank an official sometime throughout the school year!
As the season grows shorter, our team is starting to come together! The Buffaloes wrestling team traveled to Winner on Saturday January 24th for the Winner Invitational. The weather was cold, but the boys got off the bus warmed up and ready to go!
Jerrick Walker made his way back to the line up, as did Aven Angyal. Hazen Garrett wrestled in his first varsity competition as well! Braylen Williams placed 5th, Hazen was 2nd in the 106B class, Jeff Knight was 5th, Jerrick finished 5th, John Boes placed 5th, Ryland Magee also finished 5th, Landon Bame finished 6th, and Sayth Cronin finished 5th. Mason Stoeser and Gunner Schreiber were one match away from placing.
The Buffs had 2 champions as well, Witt Myers at 132 dominated the field and Case Kolda thumped a very tough 157 weight class!
Next up on Thursday, January 29th, is a home dual against the Badlands Brawlers then off to Parker on the 31st! Busy couple of weeks coming up! GO BUFFS!
Jerrick Walker made his way back to the line up, as did Aven Angyal. Hazen Garrett wrestled in his first varsity competition as well! Braylen Williams placed 5th, Hazen was 2nd in the 106B class, Jeff Knight was 5th, Jerrick finished 5th, John Boes placed 5th, Ryland Magee also finished 5th, Landon Bame finished 6th, and Sayth Cronin finished 5th. Mason Stoeser and Gunner Schreiber were one match away from placing.
The Buffs had 2 champions as well, Witt Myers at 132 dominated the field and Case Kolda thumped a very tough 157 weight class!
Next up on Thursday, January 29th, is a home dual against the Badlands Brawlers then off to Parker on the 31st! Busy couple of weeks coming up! GO BUFFS!
The Stanley County Booster Club is collecting your DakotaMart Receipts! Please bring any receipts to our collection buckets located in the lobby of the MS/HS building and in the elementary office! Thank you for your support and receipts!
Here are results from the girls' Battler Invitational in Gettysburg back on January 16!
Timber Hansen was Champion at 100 lbs going 2-0 for the day!
Gracie Rutherford took 2nd at 120 lbs going 3-1 for the day!
Nice work, Ladies!
The Lady Buffs head to Belle Fourche on Friday!
Another busy week for our Buffs and Lady Buffs!
Join us for our National Honor Society Induction - Monday @ 6pm in the MS/HS Gym!
Tuesday's basketball schedule looks a little different with ONE Middle School boys' game starting at 5pm followed by the JV and Varsity games (roughly 6:30pm JV start) - all against Sully Buttes in Parkview! The Booster Club is selling Root Beer Floats!
UPDATED: Wednesday we will have a public performance of the One Act Play - Dark Road - at 7pm in the MS/HS Gym.
Thursday brings us a wrestling dual at home with one of the top teams in the state with the Badlands Brawlers! Join us at 6pm in Parkview for some wrestling action!
Our basketball teams will head to take on the Crow Creek Chieftains! The girls' JV will only play 3 quarters, so make sure you are there early with the rolling schedule!
The girls will head to a big Belle Fourche tournament on Friday while the boys go in the opposite direction to Parker on Saturday! Let's go wrestlers!
Saturday also sees our varsity boys' basketball team in action against Wolsey-Wessington at the Dakota State University Classic in Madison. We have the 7:30pm game which means we are in for some good basketball action!
Come join us for TODAY'S doubleheader basketball against the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Braves!
Girls' JV starts at 2pm CT with JV boys, Varsity girls, and Varsity boys to follow!
The Booster Club is hosting their annual Soup Cookoff! We have 10 great teams making soups - $5 for all you can eat starting at 4pm!
There will be a Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony between the varsity games for Jason Bucholz and Bernie Duffy, Jr.
Good luck, Buffs and Lady Buffs! 🦬🏀
Come join us for Saturday's doubleheader basketball against the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Braves!
Girls' JV starts at 2pm CT with JV boys, Varsity girls, and Varsity boys to follow!
The Booster Club is hosting their annual Soup Cookoff! We have 10 great teams making soups - $5 for all you can eat starting at 4pm!
There will be a Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony between the varsity games.
Good luck, Buffs and Lady Buffs!
Due to dangerous wind chills forecasted for Friday morning, Stanley County Schools will be canceled for Friday, January 23rd, 2026. There will be no activities or practices. The boys' basketball game with Gettysburg will be postponed to a later date. Stay warm.
Please join us for a public performance of our One Act play this year - Dark Road!
Where: MS/HS Gym
When: January 28, 2026
Time: 7:00pm
A Free Will Donation will be taken at the door.
Come see all the hard work our students and staff have put into making this performance happen!
Where: MS/HS Gym
When: January 28, 2026
Time: 7:00pm
A Free Will Donation will be taken at the door.
Come see all the hard work our students and staff have put into making this performance happen!
The Stanley County School District is excited to announce our Superintendent for the 2026-2027 school year - Mr. Rob Coverdale! He will begin July 1, 2026. Please join us in welcoming Mr. Coverdale home to our district!
Here is a note from Mr. Coverdale:
"I am incredibly excited and honored to have the opportunity to serve as Stanley County School Superintendent for the 2026-27 school year. I am in my 30th year of education, 24 of which were with the Pierre School District where I was a teacher, coach and principal, both at the elementary and high school levels. The past three years I have been blessed to be the superintendent at Crow Creek Tribal Schools and in that time have made some friendships that will last a lifetime. My wife, Cheryl, is an occupational therapist and we have three sons, one daughter-in-law, and two grandsons.
I am a product of the Stanley County School System and attended Liberty and New Liberty Country Schools before transitioning into town in 1986 for high school. I graduated from Stanley County in 1990 and would put the education I received up against any school, public or private, in the state! To this day, many of my closest friends are those that I went to high school with and some of the mentors I look up to are those teachers and coaches that influenced me over 35 years ago.
I love working with kids and am equally excited for the opportunity to work side by side with a staff who are passionate and dedicated to helping our children prepare for the future. I sincerely believe that there is no work more important than educating our children and there has probably never been a time, at least in modern history, where our kids have had to face greater challenges. Yet, with the terrific responsibility that accompanies our work also comes some of the greatest joy and fulfillment that we can ever achieve professionally!
Again, I feel blessed to have this opportunity and look forward to working with all the tremendous staff in Stanley County in the future!"
Here is a note from Mr. Coverdale:
"I am incredibly excited and honored to have the opportunity to serve as Stanley County School Superintendent for the 2026-27 school year. I am in my 30th year of education, 24 of which were with the Pierre School District where I was a teacher, coach and principal, both at the elementary and high school levels. The past three years I have been blessed to be the superintendent at Crow Creek Tribal Schools and in that time have made some friendships that will last a lifetime. My wife, Cheryl, is an occupational therapist and we have three sons, one daughter-in-law, and two grandsons.
I am a product of the Stanley County School System and attended Liberty and New Liberty Country Schools before transitioning into town in 1986 for high school. I graduated from Stanley County in 1990 and would put the education I received up against any school, public or private, in the state! To this day, many of my closest friends are those that I went to high school with and some of the mentors I look up to are those teachers and coaches that influenced me over 35 years ago.
I love working with kids and am equally excited for the opportunity to work side by side with a staff who are passionate and dedicated to helping our children prepare for the future. I sincerely believe that there is no work more important than educating our children and there has probably never been a time, at least in modern history, where our kids have had to face greater challenges. Yet, with the terrific responsibility that accompanies our work also comes some of the greatest joy and fulfillment that we can ever achieve professionally!
Again, I feel blessed to have this opportunity and look forward to working with all the tremendous staff in Stanley County in the future!"
Tonight's Middle School Boys' Basketball Game with Lower Brule has been postponed. We are looking for a make-up date and will keep you posted. Thank you and please share.
Tomorrow/Friday's dual with Lead/Deadwood has been cancelled due to illness with their team.
The Middle School Boys' Basketball Game with Lower Brule tomorrow/Thursday will now begin at 4:30pm and there will only be one game.
Saturday, January 17, blew the Buffaloes wrestling team into Gettysburg for the Battler Invite. When the smoke settled, the Buffs walked out with two champions, Case Kolda and Braylen Williams! Mason Stoeser finished 4th, Jeff Knight 4th, Gunner Schreiber 5th, Witt Myers 3rd, Ryland Magee 6th, Landon Bame 3rd, Sayth Cronin 5th, and Wyatt Schilling 5th.
Still a lot to improve upon but a solid 4th place effort for the Buff Boys who are piece-by-piece getting their line up solidified!
Up next the Buffs will host the Lead/Deadwood Golddiggers on Friday, January 23rd, in the old MS/HS gym @ 4:30pm and then travel to Winner on Saturday January 24th! GO BUFFS!
Still a lot to improve upon but a solid 4th place effort for the Buff Boys who are piece-by-piece getting their line up solidified!
Up next the Buffs will host the Lead/Deadwood Golddiggers on Friday, January 23rd, in the old MS/HS gym @ 4:30pm and then travel to Winner on Saturday January 24th! GO BUFFS!
Updated Calendar for the Week:
Tonight's DH with Jones County begins at 4:30pm with girls' JV - that is an updated time.
The dual with Lead/Deadwood will be in the MS/HS Gym on Friday. We are trying something new with this!
Saturday's DH with CEB begins at 2pm. We have our annual Booster Club Soup Cook Off starting at 4:30pm and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony between the varsity games.
Tonight's DH with Jones County begins at 4:30pm with girls' JV - that is an updated time.
The dual with Lead/Deadwood will be in the MS/HS Gym on Friday. We are trying something new with this!
Saturday's DH with CEB begins at 2pm. We have our annual Booster Club Soup Cook Off starting at 4:30pm and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony between the varsity games.
Our One Act Play students will be performing at Riggs on Monday, January 19 at 10:00 a.m. and we’d love to see you there. This performance is free of charge. Good luck to our students!
There will be an additional performance on January 28 at 7:00 a.m. in the Middle-High School Gym. This evening event is open to the public and will be offered as a free‑will donation performance.
There will be an additional performance on January 28 at 7:00 a.m. in the Middle-High School Gym. This evening event is open to the public and will be offered as a free‑will donation performance.
Here are our Bride of the Monster results from Presho on Saturday!
Timber Hanson - CHAMPION!
Londyn Allen-Hunsaker placed 3rd
Gracie Rutherford placed 4th
There was a lot of great wrestling - way to go, Lady Buffs!
SD-ACT to Replace Current Junior State Assessment in South Dakota!
Beginning in Spring 2026, South Dakota public schools will use the ACT as the state assessment for juniors. This change is designed to provide more meaningful testing for students and families while supporting college and career planning.
This means that:
• All South Dakota public school juniors will take the SD-ACT online
during the school day at no cost.
• This will typically occur in March and include all testing subjects:
English, Reading, Math, Science, and Writing.
• The results will be used to measure student performance on district
and high school Accountability Report Cards.
• Students can retake the ACT at their own expense should they
wish to attempt to improve their scores.
“For many years, South Dakota students have been outscoring their counterparts nationally and regionally on the ACT. Even though we know testing all students will reduce our average scores 1.5 to 2.5 points, we still expect solid results and the kind of scores which will open doors for even more students to pursue postsecondary educational opportunities,” said Secretary of Education Joseph Graves.
Beginning in Spring 2026, South Dakota public schools will use the ACT as the state assessment for juniors. This change is designed to provide more meaningful testing for students and families while supporting college and career planning.
This means that:
• All South Dakota public school juniors will take the SD-ACT online
during the school day at no cost.
• This will typically occur in March and include all testing subjects:
English, Reading, Math, Science, and Writing.
• The results will be used to measure student performance on district
and high school Accountability Report Cards.
• Students can retake the ACT at their own expense should they
wish to attempt to improve their scores.
“For many years, South Dakota students have been outscoring their counterparts nationally and regionally on the ACT. Even though we know testing all students will reduce our average scores 1.5 to 2.5 points, we still expect solid results and the kind of scores which will open doors for even more students to pursue postsecondary educational opportunities,” said Secretary of Education Joseph Graves.
