Welcome to PART TWO of the Entire History of Lakota West High School!

Congratulations on making it halfway through! You’ve read about burning dolls, parade floats, world records, and students dancing barefoot on the cold cafeteria floors… Now, we look to the history of the brand new Lakota West High School, and how the split of the district transformed the school spirit, culture, and traditions of Lakota students. Yearbooks during these years became bundled with fun facts, stories from students, and other unique ideas, all jammed into 250 pages of pure Lakota West history. 

At the end of this document, you will also see an array of resources, lists, and links to other useful documents online that you may find interesting. I encourage you to also read my article (included at the end), where I analyze how yearbooks have changed over the years, and why their rapid decline is becoming a major concern for me and others who wish to look back on our schools history decades down the road.

Just like before, sit back, relax, and remember to take breaks!

I wish you the absolute best as you continue to read,

The Entire History of Lakota West High School.

Thomas Price, Class of 2025

Editor in Chief of The West Press

The History of the Late 90s and 2000s

With Lakota High School officially shut down, students officially celebrated the split of the district, with Lakota East and Lakota West opening. Over the following years, students began to create new traditions, explore newfound opportunities, and make themselves at home in their new buildings. New classrooms, technologies, and rules made life in Lakota different than before, but exciting nonetheless.

School also began to look more like it does today: computer labs were newly introduced, phones made their way into schools, and familiar teachers began to work at West. The unfortunate realities of today’s world also began to creep in: Lakota West would experience its first bomb threat, and parts of the building would be redesigned years after being built in order to accommodate the possibilities of a school shooter. 

Even though the environment of schools began to change, the culture and values of Lakota remained: West’s sports programs thrived, students enjoyed being in the student section and attending pep rallies, and the academic environment of Lakota continued to prove successful for thousands of incoming students.

1998 – “Clawing Through Boundaries”

Principal: Craig Ullery

Prom: “I’ll Stand By You”

Homecoming: “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (feat. the hit song from “The Lion King”)

The play for this year was “Hello, Dolly!” and the musical was “You Can’t Take it With You.”

Unlike any previous year, the 1997-1998 school year marked a new era for Lakota Local Schools. To kick off the opening of Lakota West and Lakota East, students from both schools gathered on September 2nd during their second period, filling the brand-new football stands. As students walked in, they were each handed a red balloon and told not to pop it or release it. At Lakota West, principal Craig Ullery gave a welcome speech to the Lakota Classes of 1998-2000. Senior Ahna Nelson sang the Lakota West Alma Mater for the first time to begin the assembly. Mr. Ullery then announced two seniors who would ride a giant hot air balloon from Lakota West to Lakota East. As the hot air balloon took off, all students released their red balloons to signify the start of the year. The hot air balloon made its way to Lakota East, where their students were waiting in their football stadium.

Just like at Lakota High School, a bonfire was hosted before football games in the large ditch in front of the parking lots next to the football field. The first “burning doll” of the season was of the Colerain Cardinals.

Before the very first football game of the year, a Local News 12 helicopter landed on the field, revealing the brand new Firebird Mascot costume, worn by longtime Ohio sports reporter Brad Johansen.

The Lakota Lassies were replaced with the Lakota West Winter Guard. The group came out strong for their first season, placing 4th overall at the WGI World Championships in Dayton. They did not, however, compete with other high schools due to their combined participation with Lakota East’s Color Guard.

The east side of Lakota High School officially reopened its doors as Creekside Early Childhood.

The Voice newspaper was introduced to Lakota West, as the name Spark was taken by Lakota East during the split. WLHS (89.9 FM), the radio station of Lakota, remained active and ran for its 21st year thanks to a combined effort from East and West students to maintain it. Live programming was aired during school hours and went through Saturday. Other shows during students’ off-time were taped.

To commemorate the first year of Lakota West, the yearbook staff decided to contact Robbie Tseng, an award-winning artist, to draw the cover art for the 1997-1998 yearbook.

During the school day, students had the opportunity to sit outside and eat lunch. Of course, this depended on the weather, as there was no coverage or overhang to sit under. This is a notable difference from today’s high school experience, as not only is it not allowed to eat outside, but eating just about anywhere outside the designated lunch spaces (aka the lunchroom) is forbidden.

The very first touchdown of Lakota West was made by Junior Kof Babb. Only four seniors were on the football team, as a majority of the previous class went to Lakota East with the LHS football coach. The West football team only won its first and last games of the season.

In January, the school board announced it would be selling the name of the stadium for a 10-to-15-year deal. The deal, which would cost 600k, was offered to over 70 local businesses, as well as 15 corporations. The school boosters tried to prioritize local organizations in order to give the stadium more of a personal touch. This search was ongoing for an additional school year and ultimately led to no buyers. To this day, “Firebird Field” has been unchanged since the school’s opening.

1998 was the year school shootings began to become a more prevalent problem, having been mentioned multiple times in the yearbook as a major concern among students and staff.

1999 – “All Moved In”

Principal: Richard Hamilton (plus Interim Principal Michael Hord)

Prom: “Lost in Your Eyes” (based on the song by Debbie Gibson)

Homecoming: “In the Arms of an Angel” (based on Sarah McLachlan’s song, “Angel”)

This year introduced many firsts for Lakota West. School was cancelled in the early months of 1999 due to the parking lot freezing over for a week and a half. West also faced its first-ever bomb threat (something that is unfortunately not uncommon today).

Homecoming activities included all types of games and activities, including a dunking booth with Lakota teachers inside, and a full-school picnic held in the football stadium that Friday.

For the first time, the Lakota East and Lakota West rivalry made its way to the football field, even though the district had already been split for a year and a half (the game was not held the previous year for unspecified reasons). In order to accommodate a crowd of more than 10,000 spectators, the game was held at the now-defunct Galbreath Field in Warren County. Lakota East won the game 15-8.

On April 5th, 1999, a tornado ripped through the Cincinnati area at 5:45 am, not long before students would wake up for school. No Lakota students or staff were injured, but damage could be found in the streets of West Chester, including a near miss of Sycamore High School.

The Y2K computer problem became a major concern going into the 1998 school year, even though the year 2000 was a comfortable 16 months away. The fear of systems around the world failing became a major talking point between students.

To celebrate their graduation, the Class of 1999 took shaving cream-filled balloons and fought with them to conclude their final school day.

The Lakota West Yearbook crew also made a video going through the school and showcasing the Lakota West spirit. The video, which was uploaded two years ago, was clearly meant to be a VHS tape when first made. You can view the video HERE.

2000 – “Making Our Mark in the Millennium”

Principal: Richard Hamilton

Prom: Unknown

Homecoming: Unknown

The play for this year was “Miracle Worker,” and the musical was “My Fair Lady.”

The Lakota West Marching Band took a trip out to California, where they visited Disney Land and performed in a parade within the park. Over 200 students took the flight across the country in the late fall of 1999.

Many other language classes also had the opportunity to go on foreign trips, such as the Spanish and French classes having the chance to visit Spain for a week during the school year.

The yearbook staff collected data based on what languages students chose to take: 35% of students took Spanish, 25% took ASL (American Sign Language), 20% took French, 12% took German, and only 8% of students took Latin.

Just like the previous year, a “Video Yearbook” was made for the 1999-2000 school year. You can view it HERE.

2001 – So Many Sparks, Just One Fire

Principal: Richard Hamilton

Prom: “Take My Breath Away”

Homecoming: “Secret Garden”

The play for this year was “The Diviners,” and the spring musical was “Grease.”

Powderpuff, a voluntary game of flag football for girls, was held during Homecoming Week.

“The Roost” talent show event was held for the first time. This idea is similar to that of Lakota East’s event, “Mr. Lakota East,” which is produced by their newspaper, Spark. Students were nominated by their peers, and should they accept the nomination, would produce a skit or small production to try and win the event.

The Lakota West football team defeated both Milford and Lakota East for the first time in the school’s short history.

During this year, riots broke out across Cincinnati after local police were accused of racial profiling. Lakota West’s prom had to be relocated to the Sharonville Convention Center in order to avoid students traveling downtown.

The “PRIDE” group from Lakota West decided to organize a mock car crash in the parking lot on the Friday before Prom. With cops, an ambulance, and a helicopter all showing up to make the event as real as possible, it forced hundreds of students to turn their attention to the “accident” and figure out what went wrong. The purpose of the stunt was to remind students not to drink and drive before or after prom. 

2002 – “2 Hot 2 Handle”

Principal: Richard Hamilton

Prom: Unknown

Homecoming: Unknown

The play for this year was “Bad Seed.” A comedy was also produced by the theatre program, entitled “Father of the Bride.” The musical for the 2001-2002 school year was “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

The yearbook staff took a survey of which cars students owned the most of in the Lakota West parking lot, finding that the most common car was a Honda Civic, with 29 students driving one. Other notable popular vehicles included the Honda Accord (27), Toyota Corolla (20), Mitsubishi Eclipse (18), and the Acura Integra (12). 

This year included a few notable worldwide events, including the tragedy of 9/11, the Anthrax bacteria scare, and the New England Patriots winning their first franchise Super Bowl.

2003 – “Slightly Altered”

Principal: Richard Hamilton

Prom: There was no clear theme listed in the yearbook, but one student’s quote described it as being “similar to last year.”

Homecoming: New York Lights. Prom was notably held in Main Street for the first time, with a star-lit skyline and graffiti scattered throughout the hall to set the atmosphere.

Two musical productions were put on stage during the 2002-2003 school year: “The Crucible” and “The Sound of Music.”

For the first time, the yearbook included all colored pages! Previously, only certain important pages would include color, such as senior photos and the first few pages of the yearbook.

Throughout the summer leading up to the new school year, construction was completed around the building to accommodate more students. A new lunch annex (the “senior section” of today’s Lakota West) and a new weight room were just some of the additions made. More music rooms and home economics rooms (where the culinary and art classes are today) were also built. New football locker rooms were built, and the first “smartboards” were introduced to classrooms.

The West Marching Band took a trip down to New Orleans, where they performed at the Nokia Sugar Bowl. The band became “celebrities” when they were mistaken for the Georgia State Marching Band, due to both bands playing one of the same pep tunes.

Nerf Wars were mentioned for the first time in the 2003 yearbook, a tradition that upperclassmen have continued throughout the past 22 years.

Afterprom for 2003 was entitled “An Evening of Stars.” West outdid itself for afterprom, including an 85-foot zipline, human foosball, a bouncing boxing ring, a log roll challenge, and much more. Tons of giveaways took place throughout the night, lasting until 5 am when the event ended. Various foods were free for students, including BBQ Ribs, Coneys, Sibs, and Pizzas. Some students even won big, walking home with free money in their pockets.

579 seniors graduated as members of the Class of 2003 on the evening of June 2nd.

2004 – “eXposed”

Principal: Richard Hamilton

Prom: “Dancing the Night Away”

Homecoming: Unknown

The play for this year was “Play On,” a literal play on plays. The spring musical was “Anything Goes.”

Lakota West Homecoming was moved to the gym, with many students joking, “there wasn’t enough light.”

Street racing became popular, likely influenced by the explosive releases of the first “Fast & Furious” films (with “2 Fast 2 Furious” releasing in 2003). 120 citations for street racing were issued in Cincinnati in 2002 alone.

A “sports history” class was introduced, as well as the Scrabble club joining the list of extra-curricular activities students could participate in. The multicultural club was also reintroduced.

Lakota West Symphonic Winds toured Europe during a two-week trip through Brussels, Paris, and London. They performed at various locations throughout their venture out of the country.

One notable addition to Lakota Local Schools was “Wokin,” or the Lakota Central High School of today. This program, which was available to both East and West students, allowed people to catch up on credits they hadn’t earned before graduation.

The Applebee’s half-off appetizers and Wendy’s 99-cent menu were favorites among students.

Just like decades prior, “The Medicine Show” was still performed in elementary schools, focused on saying NO to drugs. The students, whose motto was “making a difference one kid at a time,” went to each school and performed humorous yet effective skits about the dangers of drugs as students entered jr. high and high school.

The most common workplaces for Lakota West students were at The Beach Waterpark, Tri-County Mall, The Rave Movie Theatre (AMC today), Kings Island, and other local restaurants.

Steve Cummins, the Lakota West soccer coach who’d lead the team to 20 consecutive winning seasons, passed away in 2003. A full page was dedicated to him in the yearbook, remembering his legacy and impact on those around him. The Lakota West soccer stadium was also renamed after him, and in the coming years, the Steve Cummins athletic scholarship would be introduced.

The 2003-2004 yearbook included a vast arry of fun facts, statistics, and tid-bits about what life in Lakota was like for students.

• 4 tons of clay were used each semester for the various art classes.
• A student survey showed that 76% of students had used “Cliff’s Notes” at some point in time in school.
• Only 132 students took Recreational PE as a class.
• Only 21% of students said they did all of their Math Homework without missing an assignment.
• 82% of students claimed to have fallen asleep in a history class at some point in time.
• Only nine people, including the teacher, were aware that the “Energy History” class existed.
• The Odyssey yearbook and The Voice newspaper used 75 sheets of paper on average each week.
• 95% of students, either taking Radio or Teachers Academy, planned on pursuing that career.
• 59% of sophomores said they had their license. Due to limited parking spots available outside Lakota West, 65% of those students had to park along both sides of West Chester Rd.
• 52% of students ate out two to three times each week.
• Hollister was the most popular place to shop among Lakota West students.
• In West’s Tetris Club, an average game would last 95.8 lines (over two minutes)
• 73% of students admitted to trying drugs and/or alcohol. 27% of students said they had not yet tried any substances.
• Only 11.5% of students at Lakota West were of a minority race.
• 14% of students were in the Lakota West Marching Band, making it the largest extracurricular activity.
• 73% of students had a part-time job while in high school.
• 56.25% of men’s sports games against Lakota East resulted in a win. Women’s sports, however, saw a 62.5% win rate against Lakota East.
• 42 students in the 2003-2004 year alone transferred to Lakota East.
• Five out of the seven seniors in the boys’ soccer team got Division I scholarship offers.
• The average girl’s volleyball player touched the ball 200 times in an average practice.
• Each Lakota West Cross Country team member ran an average of 45 miles per week, making 1,980 miles run by the entire team each week.
• 30% of the men’s basketball 3-point shots were successfully made during season games.
• 3000 free throws were thrown by EACH West girls basketball player throughout the entire season.
• 85% of baseball players wanted to play ball in college.
• The boy’s volleyball team got the most wins in school history in 2004 (14 wins!)
• The average GPA of the quiz team was 4.43!
• 61% of Lakota West students went to Florida during their 2004 spring break.

2006 – No title, had a driving theme; License plate cover which read “Lakota West”

Principal: Richard Hamilton

Prom: “A Midnight Masquerade”

Homecoming: Unknown

The play for this year was “Deeply Departed,” and the musical was “42nd Street.”

Lakota West High School had 613 seniors, 693 juniors, and 722 sophomores in attendance for the 2005-2006 school year.

The Lakota West Marching Band took a trip to Hawaii in the fall of 2005, where they performed in various parades and spent many days around the Waikiki and Honolulu area.

The Lakota East vs. Lakota West football game was especially notable: Lakota West was down 21 and came back to win the game in overtime.

Main Campus had gone well past its maximum capacity of students (1700) with an extra 188 students in attendance (1888 people in total). Extra parking spaces were added in order to get students off the streets and prevent possible accidents along West Chester Rd.

Due to high attendance, the school lunchroom became overcrowded, with students claiming that it “took forever” to get food. This, of course, would be resolved in the coming years as seating in the lunchroom expanded at both East and West.

Just like 2004, this yearbook also had a few fun facts:

• 14% of students admitted to cheating by using their phones to text their friends for answers. 69% of students said they would cheat by looking off their peers’ papers, and only 11% of students said that cheating was wrong… whether or not those 11% were being truthful is left up to the reader!
• 40% of students said they wish they’d had a study group in high school. 5% of students claimed they had one, and 25% of students said they never studied.
• 42% of students said they’d skipped a class at some point in time, and weren’t caught for it.

2007 – “Define Yourself”

Principal: Richard Hamilton

Prom: “Mystical Nights”

Homecoming: Unknown

The play for this year was “Anne Frank.” The spring musical was “Beauty and the Beast.”

Lakota Local Schools celebrated its 50th anniversary, hosting a “Lakota-Fest” at Lakota West Main Campus. All of the East and West bands from the district performed, and each club and sport got a booth to show off their successes, as well as what they all did and who they were. Today, this event is “Light Up Lakota,” where the district highlights the students and each school’s achievements.

Construction began on the back hall of both Lakota East and West, adding additional classrooms, the annex, and circular staircase. In the front of the building, the entire entrance was pulled up a significant amount to add a main office, as well as remove the overhang that the front window had. This allowed for parents and visitors to buzz into the main office, significantly improving the safety measures of the school. The old main office, which was where the current counseling offices are, was too far into the building and allowed strangers to enter the building without question. The auxiliary gym was also added to the front of the building.

At the end of a yearbook, multiple pages included a list of all Lakota West seniors and their plans after high school.

2008 – “Controlled Chaos”

Principal: Richard Hamilton

Prom: “Happily Ever After”

Homecoming: Unknown

The play for this year was “A Christmas Carol.” The spring musical was not found in the yearbook.

The additional construction on the main office and the new hall in the back of the building were completed. New athletic offices were also built. The bridge across Main Street, which would later be named after Principal Richard Hamilton, was also added. Multiple classes also got the brand new 3M Projectors, which in today’s classrooms is an expectation and immediate need.

The West Marching Band flew out to California, where they participated in the Rose Bowl. Chorale students also took a trip to New York City, where they performed in multiple famous venues such as Carnegie Hall, Ellis Island, Westminster Choir College, and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

2009 – “Make it Remembered”

Principal: Richard Hamilton

Prom: “A Night in Hollywood”

Homecoming: “New York Lights”

The play for this year was “As You Like It.” The spring musical was “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”

Lakota West Prom was held in the Cintas Center, where each class graduates from at the end of the year.

For the first time, the Lakota West yearbook included the freshman class. This was because the freshman campus previously had a smaller yearbook in both size and number of pages. Including the freshman class, nearly three thousand students were included in the 2009 yearbook. “Two Campuses, One School” was the motto the yearbook used.

On September 14th, 2008, a massive windstorm caused a 3-day blackout before homecoming. The dance, however, still went on as planned.

This was a notably successful year for Lakota West sports: The West football team beat Lakota East for the 4th year in a row, the women’s tennis team and men’s golf won state, and the freshman girls basketball team had an undefeated 20-0 season.

This was also a great year for fundraising, with over $7,500 raised for breast cancer awareness, $1,752 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Foundation, and 3,572 pounds of canned food donated for the yearly food drive/stuff the bus.

Lakota West earned an “excellent” rating in academics for the 7th year in a row, something that was (and still is to this day) difficult to achieve.

The History of the 2010s through Today (2025)

And so, we enter the final two decades of this project! From the 2010s on, things started to look more recognizable in today’s school environment. Cell phones, computers, and well-beloved teachers, each finding their place at Lakota West. The football team went from being not-so-good to a force to be reckoned with, the marching band grew exponentially, winning various awards with ease, and the culture of the high school finally solidified itself into today’s Lakota West.

The early 2010s also began seeing things change for the worse: the regulations and structure of classrooms as we know them have changed drastically, such as more rules, fewer freedoms, and the school spirit of West becoming less and less prominent. The yearbooks, for example, began to take a new format: no longer did they include much information, but instead opted to focus on photos, describing who was in them and what they were doing. The “hard facts” were no longer present, and information became harder to find.

This trend has, unfortunately, continued up through today, 2025. Much of the information from the 2020s didn’t come from the yearbooks, but instead from my previous experiences and knowledge gained by living through those years. The Lakota West yearbooks have declined rapidly, and should someone wants to update this project twenty years from now, they would struggle to find much of any information to include.

Regardless, the more recent years also mean the reader likely has more context and cares about what has happened. The successes, growth, and achievements of the last few years are thanks to many students who still attend Lakota to this day. It is up to the future students of Lakota to continue these traditions, to represent the spirit of our school, and define what makes Lakota West such an amazing place to be.

2010 – “Time to Unite”

Principal: Richard Hamilton

Prom: “French Masquerade”

Homecoming: Unknown

The play for this year was not included in the yearbook; the musical, however, was “Godspell.”

This year was quickly defined by the unfortunate loss of a Lakota West Sophomore named Amber Robinson. Amber was a 15-year-old honors student who was sadly murdered after trying to break up a fight between two people outside her apartment. She was stabbed to death by a 19-year-old while trying to protect younger children around her. An assembly was held shortly after the news, bringing awareness to crime and the simple act of being kind to one another, as well as providing support for those grieving. A full page was dedicated to her passing in the sophomore photo section. The first page of the yearbook, which gave a summary of what the year was like, also described the start of the year as “a moment that defined us” and allowed for the school to become more in touch with one another.

Lakota West seniors went to Keener Park on January 9th, where they went “swimsuit-sledding” after it had snowed a considerable amount.

Twelve SGA members took a trip to Washington, D.C. for one week and, thanks to a blizzard nicknamed “Snowmageddon,” spent an additional week in the capital. The blizzard, which lasted from February 5th to 6th, caused hundreds of flights to be cancelled and delayed.

The Red Sea Leaders, who lead the Lakota West student section during sporting events and pep rallies, were known as “The Bomb Squad.” (This name could be semi-questionable in today’s school environment if taken out of context!)

The Class of 2010 was notorious for their skipping, gaining the attention of the administration, and very willingly calling them out for it. As one student said, “There was no need for a planned senior skip day… every day was a senior skip day.”

2012 – “Feel the Fire”

Principal: Richard Hamilton

Prom: “Shanghai Nights”

Homecoming: “Capture the Moment”

The play for this year was “Pride and Prejudice,” and the musical was “Music Man.”

The boy’s soccer team won its first state title since 2002.

This yearbook was made entirely of fun facts and stats (except for the one above!) As mentioned before, this was when yearbooks began to shy away from telling you information and preferred to show you it instead.

• 43% of students went to a beach over the summer.
• 62% of students went to homecoming with a date. One group, as seen below, had 25 girls and 26 guys altogether posing for a photo.
• 12% of students played a sport outside school.
• 87% of band kids said they also participated in marching band.
• 99% of students thought that what SGA (Student Government Association) did was worthwhile.
• 94% of students said yoga pants should not be banned in the Lakota dress code.
• 26 sets of twins attended Lakota West. There were even four sets of triplets!
• 42% of students went to prom with just a friend, a similar ratio to homecoming’s 62% of students who went with a date to the dance.
• 40% of students said their favorite subject was an elective. 25% of students, surprisingly, said math was their favorite subject.
• 62% of students claimed history was their favorite main elective.
• 38% of art students said they would use their experiences in art class and apply them to their career.
• 64% of choir kids said they enjoyed doing solos in front of large crowds.
• 34% of students said they wish they’d taken an acting class in high school.
• 76% of students went to at least one East vs. West sporting event during the 2011-2012 school year.
• 62% of students said they had a part-time job.

2013 – “Social Outbreak” (themed around phones)

Principal: Elgin Card

Prom: “New York, New York”

Homecoming: Unknown

The play for this year was “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and the musical was “All Shook Up.”

The concept of BYOT, or Bring Your Own Technology, was introduced to Lakota West. This meant students could bring their own devices, such as a laptop, to “further enhance learning.”

After serving as principal for over fourteen school years, West principal Richard Hamilton retired from his position, making way for new principal Elgin Card to take his place for the next seven years.

2014 – “People of the Year: West” (a play on Time Magazine’s Person of the Year)

Principal: Elgin Card

Prom: “The Great Gatsby”

Homecoming: Unknown

The play for this year was “Romeo and Juliet,” and the musical was “West Side Story.”

Just like the musical production, the Lakota West Marching Band themed their show around West Side Story, and named it exactly that. It featured selections from the musical and would be the last show put on by head director Greg Snyder before resigning at the end of the year.

2016 – “Greetings From West” (postcard themed)

Principal: Elgin Card

Prom: “Moonlight Garden”

Homecoming: Throwback (decades theme, no title given)

The play for this year was “Cyrano de Bergerac,” and the musical was the 1960s classic, “Mary Poppins.”

A student documentary, called “Do You Remember Lakota West,” was created, looking back on the memories and experiences LWHS offered to its students. You can view the short, four-minute video HERE.

2019 – “The Seasons of Lakota West”

Principal: Elgin Card

Prom: “Greek Garden”

Homecoming: Unknown

Neither the play nor the musical for the 2018-2019 school year was provided in the yearbook.

This yearbook did not, in fact, include a title. The cover includes a tree with red flowers, and the pages inside are themed around the seasons. The title above is simply a concept of what it may have been called at the time.

This school year was a bittersweet one after the loss of Lakota West student Matthew Stratman. Matt passed away when he was just fifteen from a ruptured brain stem, or an undiagnosed AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation). This abnormal connection of arteries and veins cost him his life without ever getting to say goodbye to his loved ones; his last waking moments were right after a Lacrosse game hosted at Firebird Stadium. After taking a team picture, he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. He went on to spend 21 days in a coma, and he passed on the morning of June 30th, 2018. Matt’s loss had a profound impact on the students of Lakota West and helped start the “Stratman Strong” movement. The movement, which garnered attention all across the Tri-State area, helped raise awareness of the effects of AVM and provided assistance for those who have been affected by AVM. The Stratman Strong foundation continues to support those in need seven years later, including two scholarships for Lakota West Athletes, donating to those with children in the hospital for AVM, and funding their local church to complete annual mission trips.

2020 – “The Great Lakota West” (based on The Great Gatsby)

Principal: Elgin Card

Prom: “Be Our Guest/A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”

Homecoming: Unknown

The play for this year was “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and the musical was “Fiddler on the Roof.”

588 seniors, 671 juniors, 720 sophomores, and 652 freshmen comprised the halls of Lakota West Freshman and Lakota West Main Campus.

1,700 students reportedly attended homecoming, even after the football team lost to Fairfield 7-33 the night prior.

This was the first season with coach Tom Bolden being head of the football team; he started at West with a 7-4 record, placing 3rd in the GMC.

The Lakota West Marching Band began its streak of firsts, becoming national semi-finalists during their trip to Indianapolis, Indiana, for the Bands of America Grand National Championships.

As all are familiar with, 2020 marked the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the way people both lived and learned for years to come. Lakota West’s prom, for example, was cancelled; students, however, took it upon themselves to dress up, sending in photos to the yearbook as though the dance had still happened. The theme, “Be Our Guest,” was reused one year later, being renamed to “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.”

The musical production of “Fiddler on the Roof” was also cancelled. Because they were so close to opening night and had spent thousands of dollars building the stage and props, the show would be redone the following year in the fall of 2020.

2021 – “The Wild Wild West”

Principal: Ben Brown

Prom: “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”

Homecoming: Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)

Two musicals were hosted: The first was “Fiddler on the Roof,” which was redone after being cancelled earlier that spring. The second musical was “Newsies,” which went on as normal in the spring of 2021.

Students had the option to either attend school in person or take virtual classes for the 2020-2021 school year. This meant that some students only saw each other from time to time, such as at school dances, or even did not see friends until graduation at the end of the year.

2022 – “Now Streaming”

Principal: Ben Brown

Prom: “Vintage Hollywood”

Homecoming: “Carnival”

The play for this year was “The 39 Steps,” and the musical was “Chicago.”

The Lakota West Marching Band, now without COVID restrictions, continued its success streak, winning a Bands of America Regional in late September. This honor, which few bands ever aspire to achieve, is difficult to achieve and is sought after by hundreds of band programs across the nation.

During the Volley for a Cure fundraiser, students helped to raise $12,000 for the organization.

2023 – “Retro”

Principal: Ben Brown

Prom: “Enchanted Forest”

Homecoming: “Neon”

The play for this year was “The Old Man and The Old Moon,” and the musical was “The Little Mermaid,” which earned high praise and is often considered one of the best productions Lakota’s theatre programs have ever put on.

The Lakota West Marching Band not only won their 2nd consecutive Bands of America Regional Championship, but also became two-time national semi-finalists during their last performance of the year at the BOA Grand National Championships.

In order to prevent any possible spread of COVID-19, homecoming was held outdoors on the Lakota West football field. To end the night, fireworks were set off in the soccer field behind the press box.

2024 – “iPhone”

Principal: Ben Brown

Prom: “A Met Gala”

Homecoming: “Lights, Camera, Action!”

The play for this year was “??” and the spring musical was “Footloose.”

The Lakota West Marching Band continued their streak of firsts; on top of winning a Bands of America Regional Championship for the 3rd consecutive year, the band became Super Regional Finalists for the first time, thanks to a successful top 14 performance in Lucas Oil Stadium in late October.

2025 – TBA

Principal: Scott Laman

Prom: “The Sweetest Thing”

Homecoming: Neon

The play for this year was “Much Ado About Nothing,” and the musical was the newly released production, “Hadestown.”

For the first time in the history of Lakota West, the homecoming theme for the 2024-2025 school year was repeated: “Neon” was previously done in the fall of 2022.

Conclusion of Yearbook Research

After five long months of reading every single yearbook, writing down seven thousand words of information, typing it into one document, and then typing it all over again in an over fifteen-thousand-word analysis, this project has been nothing but a joy for me to complete. The history of Lakota West and Lakota HS is a reflection of how society has changed; we have seen endless freedom in schools, passionate expressions of school spirit, and struggles that we no longer have to face today. We’ve learned how students have eaten a goldfish, made parade floats, and seen dead possums on their cars, but what now? What is left to learn about the history of Lakota? What is the foreseeable future of Lakota?

Before you finish, there are a few other resources I have compiled that you may find interesting. The first is an analysis of how yearbooks (specifically Lakota/Lakota West’s) have changed over the years, and not for the better. It dives into the eras of yearbooks, classifying their changes, and determining where yearbooks need to go from here. I have also compiled information about all construction changes of Lakota Schools, a list of all Lakota Superintendents, as well as every high school prom theme, theatre production, yearbook title/theme, and more that you may find interesting. I also have links to online Lakota yearbooks going as far back as 1939. Unfortunately, researching nearly 50 yearbooks doesn’t give you much time to go further back than what I physically had, so the digital copies going back 85 years are available for you to look through yourself. I encourage you to scroll through different decades and see how each has been designed differently and what kinds of things they chose to talk about.

I look forward to countless people reading this work years and years down the road. This is meant to be a memory capsule of all the classes before; I may not have gotten all the details or most relevant information, but I hope to the average student or parent in Lakota Local Schools, this provided you with both insight and knowledge into what life was once like as a student of Lakota/Lakota West High School.

Each class’s legacy will become yet another addition to the collection of Lakota West yearbooks: experiences, memories, and those unforgettable moments, left on a dusty shelf, just to be reopened every few years to remember what once was. Let this project remind us of what has come before and where we came from. We are nothing without who we were before, and these yearbooks should be a timeless reminder of how we, the people who comprise Lakota West, can define it. I hope I have done justice to the tens of thousands of students who have walked the halls of a Lakota school, waiting for the day they could leave… only to think back on those life-changing high school memories. May their story be found somewhere in this project, and may their legacy inspire others to do the same.

Additional Information 

General Information about Lakota Local Schools/Lakota West HS

In 1915, there were 15 elementary schools. Together, they formed the Union Township School District. In 1957, however, the Union Township and Liberty Township school districts meshed together, forming the Liberty-Union Local School District. It was in 1959 when the district’s new high school, Lakota High School, was built (the West freshman building today). The name “Lakota” came from a 1950s “Name the School” contest, where Mary Mitzel, a 5th grader from Liberty Township, had her name recommendation selected. The tradition of naming schools after Native American names began to trickle through the rest of the district, and is the reason so many Lakota schools today feature tribe names such as “Shawnee” and “Wyandot.” 

In 1970, the district was renamed to the Lakota Local School District.

Lakota Local Schools Expansion History

In 1959, the Main Campus (West Freshman) was opened. 1500 students in the district.

In 1964, the guidance wing of the building was opened.

1974 saw new classrooms, gym, art rooms, and an auditorium added to LHS. Three junior schools and 2 elementary schools were also built. Liberty and Union schools were also renovated.

In 1977, the LHS Freshman Building (now Creekside Early Childhood) opened. The cafeteria section that connected the two buildings did NOT yet exist.

1984 plans made to expand the library by 1200 square feet and build a sports addition onto the gym.

In 1984, there were 7000 students registered at Lakota Local Schools. The district covered 68 square miles.

In 1988, one elementary school was opened. 1990 saw two elementary schools open, and 1992 saw an elementary school and a freshman school built (Ridge). 

1993 added 34 classrooms to different schools, and 1994 added two more elementary schools.

In the fall of 1997, the district officially split, marking five new buildings, two of which were the new Lakota East and Lakota West High Schools. This also included a new junior school, an early childhood center, and a relocated freshman building (the current freshman building)

By 2004, a new elementary and junior school were built, along with the Central Office.

2007 saw additions made to the East and West high schools (added hallway on the back of the building), as well as the opening of Endeavor Elementary and Wyandot Early Childhood School.

In 2008, the East Freshman building was opened, and in 2009, the remodeled Liberty Early Childhood School was completed.

In 2017, the original Union Elementary School was demolished and given to the Boys and Girls Club, though the 9-acre plot is still owned by Lakota. This agreement helped to fill the vacancy that the school had been facing.

2017 also marked the opening of their new high school, the “Lakota Career Readiness Academy,” which was renamed to Lakota Central in 2022. It began at the East and West main campuses, moved to the old central office (building in front of West Freshman), and finally shifted to being in the freshman basement floor in 2022 to accommodate the growing number of students.

In 2018, the district reconfigured its grade scale, changing it from the original PreK-1, 2-6, 7-8, 9, 10-12 and instead opting for a K-2, 3-6, 7,8- 9, 10-12 scale. This forced Heritage and Hopewell Elementary to become early childhood schools.

Lakota Local Schools Official Construction History

1916 Union Elementary

1928 Liberty Elementary

1959 Lakota High School

1962 Hopewell Elementary

1969 Lakota Junior School*

1973 Hopewell Junior School

1977 Liberty Junior School

1978 Adena Elementary

1988 Freedom Elementary & High School Addition

1990 Woodland & Shawnee Elementaries

1992 Heritage Elementary & Lakota Freshman School

1993 34 Classroom Additions to Six Buildings

1994 Cherokee & Independence Elementaries

1997 Lakota East High School, Lakota West High School, Lakota Early Childhood Center, Relocation of the Lakota Freshman School to the former high school site, Lakota Ridge Junior School opened at the former site of the Lakota Freshman School

2003 Lakota Plains Junior School, VanGorden Elementary, and the new Central Office Building

2007 Endeavor Elementary School, Wyandot Early Childhood School, and Additions to Lakota East & West High Schools

2008 Lakota East Freshman School & Liberty Early Childhood School**

2009 New Union Elementary and remodeled Liberty Early Childhood School

2016 Deconstruction of the original Union Elementary in Olde West Chester, Lakota establishes Career Readiness Academy at Lakota West’s Main Campus

2017 Career Readiness Academy relocated to the original Board of Education office in front of Lakota West Freshman

2018 Heritage & Hopewell Elementary Schools transition to Early Childhood Schools: Lakota Welcome Center (previously the Enrollment Center) relocates 

to Central Office; Lakota preschool moves to VanGorden Elementary, and Liberty ECS.

2022 Career Readiness Academy becomes Lakota Central and expands to the West Freshman Campus.

* This building was used as a junior high school until the opening of Liberty Junior School in October 1977. It was later used as the east wing of the Lakota High School and is now the Creekside Early Childhood School.

**Liberty Early Childhood School relocated to a new school on LeSourdsville-West Chester Road while repairs are made to the school on Princeton Road.

DISTRICT OVERALL: 23 Schools, 63 Square Miles, West Chester & Liberty Township areas, PreK-12. Enrollment was 17,450 as of the 23-24 school year, with over 2000 staff employed and an average teaching experience of 12 years. As of September 2024, the current population of the district area was 107,000.

All Lakota Local Schools Superintendents (1959 to Today)

1959 to 1964: D. Russell Lee

1964 to 1981: Herbert A. Henderson

1981 to 1994: Thomas Hayden

1994 to 2005: Kathleen Klink

2005 to 2006: Philip Ehrhardt

2006 to 2011: Mike Taylor

2011: Ron Spurlock (interim)

2011 to 2016: Karen Mantia

2016 to 2017: Robb Vogelmann (acting)

2017 to 2023: Matthew Miller

2023: Robb Vogelmann (interim, January through July)

2023 to 2024: Elizabeth Lolli (interim)

2024 to Present: Ashley Whitely

All Lakota (West) HS Principals

1959 to 1965: LeRoy Williams

1965 to 1967: Fred S. Cover

1967 to 1973(?): George D. Estes

1973(?) to 1975: Demery H. Smith

1975 to 1982: Larry Irwin

1982 to 1984: Ebbie Gadd

1985 to 1988: Robert/Bob Oglesbee

1988 to 1992(?): Eileen Goode

1992(?) to 1998: Craig Ullery

1998 to 2013: Richard Hamilton

2013 to 2020: Elgin Card

2020 to 2024: Ben Brown

2024 to Present: Scott Laman

All Lakota (West) HS Prom Themes

1963 + 1967: Unknown

1968: “House of Jade”

1969: “Hawaiian Style”

1970: “Gone With the Wind”

1974: Unknown

1975: “For the Good Times”

1978: Unknown

1979: “Always and Forever”

1980: “Memories of the Way We Were”

1981: “I Wish You Peace”

1982 + 1983: Unknown

1984: “It’s My Turn”

1985: Unknown

1986: “The Best is Yet to Come”

1987: “Hold on to Your Dreams”

1989: Unknown

1993: “A Time to Remember” *

1994: “Save the Best for Last” *

1995: “Never Say Goodbye”

1996: “Remember Me This Way” *

1997: “Wonderful Night” *

1998: “I’ll Stand By You”

1999: “Lost in Your Eyes” *

2000: Unknown

2001: “Take my Breath Away”

2002 + 2003: Unknown

2004: “Dancing the Night Away”

2006: “A Midnight Masquerade”

2007: “Mystical Nights”

2008: “Happily Ever After”

2009: “A Night in Hollywood”

2010: “French Masquerade”

2011: “Arabian Nights”

2012: “Shanghai Nights”

2013: “New York, New York”

2014: “The Great Gatsby”

2015: “Shores of Paradise”

2016: “Moonlight Garden”

2017: “Diamonds are Forever”

2018: “Travel the World”

2019: “Greek Garden”

2020: “Be Our Guest”

2021: “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”

2022: “Vintage Hollywood”

2023: “Enchanted Forest”

2024: “A Met Gala”

2025: “The Sweetest Thing”

* Based on a song of either a similar name or exact name.

The Future of Lakota Local Schools

I invite you to look into the future of Lakota Local Schools, which includes the new Master Facilities Plan that affects the grade bands, construction of new buildings, and removal of older ones. One resource is our “Lakota’s Master Facilities Plan: 2025 Edition” article, which we released earlier this year. For more up-to-date information, though it may require some digging through meeting notes, I suggest checking out the official Master Facilities Plan Home Page. There you will find board meeting notes, plans, expenses, maps, and much more that you may find interesting. You can also find direct resources and documents HERE. Just like the decades you may have read about, Lakota must plan for the decades ahead… so keep up with what their plans are, and see how you can support the growth of our district and keep the spirit of our students alive for years to come. 

An Analysis of Lakota’s Yearbooks and Their Rapid Decline: READ HERE!

Links and Resources

Online Lakota Schools Yearbooks (MidPointe Library, 1939 to 1989)

Lakota Online District History OFFICIAL (Construction, Superintendents, etc.)

Current Student/Staff Enrollment

Broad History of West Chester Schools (Includes 1800s)

History of West Chester Township

Amber Robinson 2009 Murder Information/Trial

Matt Stratman “Stratman Strong” Foundation

1998-1999 Video Yearbook —– 1999-2000 Video Yearbook

“Do You Remember Lakota West” 2016 Student Documentary

Thank you for your endless support! Here’s to the decades of Lakota West history yet to be made.