The Okoboji School Board is excited to announce the hiring of Will Dible as the next superintendent of the Okoboji Community School District, following the retirement of Mr. Abrahamson on June 30, 2025, after eight years of dedicated leadership.
A 2004 graduate of Okoboji High School, Will’s return to lead our district is a special full-circle moment for all of us. Mr. Dible's hiring will be made official at the board meeting on January 8, 2025.
Will is a dedicated and accomplished leader with a student-centered approach to education that aligns perfectly with our district’s vision. We are confident that his leadership will continue to move Okoboji forward in a positive direction.
Please join us in welcoming Mr. Dible to his new role. He will officially begin his duties as superintendent on July 1, 2025.
Attention Okoboji School District Resident Families!
Mark your calendars for a special opportunity to participate in satellite voting on October 21st from 1:00 to 7:00 PM at the elementary school. This is your chance to make your voice heard and have a say in the future of our community and schools!
Voting at your convenience helps ensure that every family can engage in the democratic process. Your participation matters whether you're a first-time voter or a seasoned pro.
Don't miss out on this important event—let's come together to shape the future of our Okoboji School District!
***** November 5, 2024 Vote! *****
Purpose of Okoboji Bond Referendum
Goto: https://okobojischools.wixsite.com/okobojibond
A Message from Okoboji Superintendent Todd Abrahamson:
Pioneer Families,
I am writing to inform you about a change to our school calendar regarding the upcoming Parent/Teacher Conferences. Initially scheduled for November 5 and 7, the conferences have now been moved to October 21. On October 21, conferences will be held from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Details on signing up for conferences will come out in early October.
This change aims to minimize disruptions for you, as we understand that many families have already arranged daycare for October 21. As a result, we will have full school days on November 5 and November 7. Additionally, November 8 will remain a no-school comp day, and November 11 will continue as a Professional Development day.
Furthermore, this adjustment allows the district to host a satellite voting station for the upcoming election from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the elementary school. The ballot on October 21 is the same as the ballot on November 5. This allows parents to cast their full vote on October 21 or November 5, providing greater flexibility in their schedules.
Thank you for your understanding and support as we make this adjustment. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Warm regards - Todd Abrahamson, Superintendent
Our very own Keaton Verner (School Resource Officer) was recently on the Okoboji Broadcast with Jeff Thee. Officer Verner was there to go through some bus safety reminders as school has started back up for the year! Please check it out when you have time so we can all work together to keep our kids safe!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BnMiBqYNKc
We are excited to be spending the day with our new team members today! We have new staff from all three buildings who will be serving our students as teachers and paraprofessionals this year. We are spending the day getting to know them and teaching them about our district and the great things they will do here!
As you are likely aware, Okoboji Commuity School District Superintendent Todd Abrahamson will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 school year. The OCSD School Board has partnered with Grundmeyer Leadership Services to lead the search process for our next great school leader.
A first step in the process is to gain input from all stakeholders as to the qualities , skills, traits, etc we are looking for in our next leader. In that effort, a brief survey has been created to gather this input. If you have not yet done so, we encourage everyone to take a few moments to fill it out and share your thoughts. You can access the survey here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBkLPcRjqYnQ1oEI59E4T7sGDTnLsOvKnfJl7zoIm6tyebWw/viewform
Survey deadline is August 31, 2024.
Online registration for the 2024-2025 school year is now open! New and current families should visit the link below to complete this quick and simple process! Current families received an email this morning with more information and the same link.
https://www.okobojischools.org/o/ocs/page/enroll-at-okoboji
BIG NEWS! At the July Board Meeting, the OCSD School Board voted to increase daily subsitute teacher pay from $135 to $150! This represents an 11% increase in pay and a nearly 50% raise in pay over the last ten years PLUS the addiiton of a free lunch every day!
Substitute teachers play a vital role in the health of our schools and the growth of our students. If you are interested subbing at Okoboji Schools, please contact Danni Bockman at the OCSD District Office. You can email her at dbockman@okobojischools.org, call the office at 712.338.4757, or stop in the office at 1205 7th Street in Milford during business hours!
As you may or may not know, Mr. Abrahamson (our current Superintendent) is retiring at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 school year. The Okoboji Board of Education recently hired Grundmeyer Leader Services to support the search for a district superintendent. The search will begin immediately and conclude with the hire of a successful leader. Your feedback regarding what desired qualifications is most important for this position will ensure the hire is a good fit for both the school district and community. Please see the link below to provide input and feedback for this incredibly important position!
https://bit.ly/OkobojiCSDSuptSearch2024
Today is School Lunch Superhero Day! It is a day to celebrate and thank the school food service team members that work hard every day to make sure all of our kids (and many staff members) have the nutrition they need to grow, learn, and succeed! They are often here well before the start of the day ensuring that breakfast and lunch will be ready for all of our hungry learners!
Thank you to OCSD Food Service Director Carrie Stethem and her outstanding team!
OHS
Brieanna Nabb
Naoko Menting
Deb Malchow
OMS
Carrie Stethem
Lindsey Chaffin
Tia Hofmeyer
Michal Nabb
Mia Bacco
OES
Sherryl Jones
Patty Hofmeyer
Jackie Anderson
Mary Demuth
Sandy Hoffman
Nancy Kissner
May is School Board Appreciation Month! School board members volunteer their time to help our students, staff, and schools succeed. Few know the hours of time spent and the difficulty of the decisions that have to be made. Those who volunteer for this service are to be commended as the local school board is a critical aspect of any strong public school system.
Thank you to our outstanding Okoboji School Board Members and thank you for all you do, seen and unseen, to drive our school forward and Pioneer Pathways for Every Student!
Today is Administrative Professionals Day! We depend on our outstanding team every day and quite literally could not make our school run without them. They do countless things to support the learning, physical, and mental health of all of our students and staff every single day and we want to show them our appreciation today and EVERY day!
Thank you Gayle, Lenae, Amanda, Kizze, and Missy, for all you do for all of us every day!
Okoboji 8th Grader Collin Kats was involved in a very bad accident over the weekend and is currently receiving medical treatment in Sioux Falls. Collin's birthday is Wednesday and he is a big fan of the Minnesota Vikings. Let's all wear Vikings gear, or purple and gold, on Wednesday to show Collin we are supporting him!
April 3rd is School Para-Professional Day! Okoboji Schools depends on our amazing team of para-professionals in all of our buildings every single day. They are often the first smile a student sees as they walk in the door and they often spend more one-on-one time with individual students than anyone else in our district. They impact the lives of our students, teachers, and families in countless ways and we could not imagine our schools without them!
Thank you to all of our outstanding para-professionals today and every day!
Date to Create is only 1 week away! The countdown is on! We hope to see you there!
Date to Create is coming soon! Please come to OES for our Open House on April 4 from 5-7 to see some amazing creations from our students! You won't want to miss this one!
Be sure to head to the Pearson Lakes Art Center tomorrow from 5-8 to see some amazing art by students from Okoboji! More details on the flyer at the link below!
https://bit.ly/3wKoruv
This is the sight of nearly 200 student musicians in grades 5-12 being led by just two conductors and playing in beautiful harmony! What a wonderful Parade of Bands Concert we had tonight! Thank you to our musicians, directors, and everyone who came out to enjoy the show!
***SAVE THE DATE***
Date to Create is one month away!!! Please come to OES for our Open House on April 4 from 5-7 to see some amazing creations from our students! You won't want to miss this one!
