RAPID CITY, S.D. – Rapid City Area Schools are gearing up for the 2026-2027 school year. On Monday at Rapid City Alternative Academy, the district kicked off a week of new teacher orientation with welcomes and introductions, and orientation events to get new teachers ready for the school year.

This year, 122 new teachers joined the Rapid City district, 69 of those are first time teachers. The Rapid City school district is home to 2,100 staff and 22 schools.

“We just want to introduce new teachers to the district and make them feel welcome,” Rapid City Area Schools Supt. Jami Jo Thompson said. “And then, of course, there’s a whole lot of training and professional development… so they are ready to go on day one.”

New teachers will have a busy week resource planning, training, and learning district policies and procedures.

“But we also want to talk about student engagement and student learning, making sure that they are set up for success in their classrooms,” Thompson said.

This year, Thompson said the district will employ a new motto: Engage, Empower, Excel. “We’re really going to focus on engaging our students and empowering them to learn at high levels, so they’re prepared to be successful, not only in school but life after school,” Thompson said.

Another notable change in the district this year is the introduction of a new English language arts curriculum, Thompson said.

“It is a research and evidence-based approach that is shown to increase reading achievement for all students,” she said.

Thompson said the district was also making a huge investment in facilities this year through capital outlay and district funding but also by pursuing a $107 million bond to repair decades old schools and build a new elementary, address health and safety issues.

The first day of school is Monday, Aug. 24.