Students, staff and leaders of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe celebrated in April 2016 after learning that the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig High School in Minnesota will be replaced as part of a new construction push in Indian Country. Photo from Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota will finally see a new high school in less than eight months after a long wait for federal funding. The Bureau of Indian Affairs will spend nearly $12 million to build a new Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig High School. Students have been attending classes in structures that were never meant to house people. "Students at the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School in northern Minnesota have faced horrendous conditions in their classrooms for years, and while it took far too long to get this done, I'm glad I can finally deliver them some good news: we are going to help fix your school," Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) said in a press release last month as the BIA announced that the school would be receiving the money.
I've fought for funding to rebuild the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig High School since 2009, and it was an honor to visit today. pic.twitter.com/1Q8GU5lb4D
— Sen. Al Franken (@SenFranken) May 6, 2016
Franken visited the reservation on Friday to get an update on the project. The new building for the high school will be assembled off site, The Bemidji Pioneer reported, and will be transported to the existing campus in time for classes in January. The BIA got the money for the school after Congress funded an existing program for the first time. Franken and other members of Minnesota's delegation helped secure the appropriation. "From 1994 to 1995, the population at the school had gotten so large that the high school classes would move out to the bus garage building," superintendent Mary Trapp said at a press conference, The Pioneer reported. "So our students have had classes there and dealt with heat, cold and air quality issues for almost 21 years." Get the Story:
The wait is over: Sens. Franken and Klobuchar visit Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig school with federal dollars finally secure for new facility (The Bemidji Pioneer 5/7) An Opinion:
Editorial: Finally, a new school for high schoolers on Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig campus (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 5/6) Inspector General Reports:
Investigation of Improper Hiring at the Bureau of Indian Education (March 30, 2016)
Investigative Report of Brian Drapeaux (December 2, 2014) Government Accountability Office Reports:
Key Actions Needed to Ensure Safety and Health at Indian School Facilities (March 10, 2016)
Further Actions on GAO Recommendations Needed to Address Systemic Management Challenges with Indian Education (April 22, 2015)
Bureau of Indian Education Needs to Improve Oversight of School Spending (November 13, 2014)
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