Students in the Sioux Falls School District have many opportunities to excel and get ahead in school that students in smaller towns do not have access to. While it is hard to see the divide in high school, it has become more apparent as students move on to college. 

LHS has many extra classes offered that can help students prepare for college, such as College Algebra, AP Statistics, AP Spanish and many more. These allow students to know enough to test out of certain college classes, not only putting them ahead but also knocking out some of the general college classes they are required to take.

Bailey Wolfgang is a current freshman at Augustana University who recently graduated from LHS and offers a perspective into how the classes she took in high school have prepared her for college.

“I took AP Lit my senior year with Mrs. Klawonn and that honestly helped me so much. The way she had us plan out and structure our essays is nearly identical to my university so the first essay I had to write was really easy to manage,” said Wolfgang.

Not all students at Augustana University come from large high schools that offer classes like these, which can lead to challenges and a hard time adjusting in their classes to fit a new style of learning.

“I think a lot of my fellow students were shocked with just the amount of people, which isn’t something that really bothered me considering LHS is so big. Also, a lot of my classmates haven’t really had the opportunity to take AP classes and perform at a college level so I definitely feel like I’ve got an advantage there,” said Wolfgang.

Not only is being ahead in class requirements a benefit of coming from a school that offers AP classes, but the transition to college is much easier.

“I feel like my advanced and accelerated classes have benefited me a lot with learning how to balance a larger workload early on. It wasn’t too drastic of a shift when I got to school and had a bunch of homework because I knew from my advanced classes how to sit down and work on homework,” said Wolfgang

This year is the first year blended learning has been implemented at LHS. This new option not only offers students time to keep up with their work but also a feel for what college classes are like.

“I think schools could definitely do a lot more with allowing kids time to work throughout the day just to help with time management. Some of my friends have told me about blended learning and I think that’s a really good idea because for college, you’re not in class all day every day so having classes some days and other days to work on what you need to do for the class or others that you may be struggling in would really benefit students who struggle with time management,” said Wolfgang.

The Sioux Falls School District prepares students relatively well for their futures and offers a plethora of classes at all skill levels to ensure success. Being a part of a large school has many perks that will pay off in the future no matter a student’s plans.