Total Commitment at St. Labre’s School in Ashland, Montana

Excellence is expected from the 450 students at St. Labre Indian School in Ashland and they respond by outperforming their peers on every academic measure and graduating from high school and college at some of the highest rates in the state.

St. Labre’s, which serves students from the Northern Cheyenne and Crow Indian Reservations, is one of 60 schools in Montana that partner with ACE Scholarships to empower parents with the ability to choose the school that is best for their child.

“We believe that all students deserve a superior education and this can be achieved at the highest levels by educating the whole child,” explains Curtis Yarlotte, executive director at the school. “Beginning with pre-school and kindergarten, and continuing through high school we provide an exceptional education to our students.”

St. Labre’s is grounded in the Catholic tradition of quality education and places great importance on Native American history and culture. Instruction in Native American languages is a vital part of the curriculum. The school also offers courses in Native American literature, and tribal government.

The results are impressive:

• 92.8 percent of St. Labre’s students graduate from high school, compared to 81.8 percent of all students in Montana.
• 85 percent of St. Labrie’s students enroll in college, compared to the national average of 67 percent for all students (native and non-native). College retention rates also exceed the national average.
• Students at the school collectively perform more than 1,200 hours per year of community service to show them the importance of giving back to the community.

St. Labre also operates a preschool in Lame Deer, a small town 20 miles west of Ashland that is also the headquarters of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Nation. The preschool offers innovative instruction that combines language, culture and faith.  An immersion program in the students’ native language – Cheyenne – is provided to help strengthen and preserve cultural traditions, as well as offer the students the proven educational benefits of learning a second language at a young age.

“It takes a total school commitment; a commitment of parents, students, teachers, staff and administration to promote a positive learning experience to make possible high student achievement,” explains Curtis. “We are grateful to ACE Scholarships and its donors for helping us show that any child can succeed if given the chance.”

For more information on St. Labre’s School, visit http://www.stlabre.org