Northwestern Area School District, located in Mellette, S.D., provides a friendly, small-town atmosphere for 345 students from the surrounding communities in grades K-12. Students receive a top-notch education with highly regarded academic programs and extracurricular activities.

The school features a brand-new competition gym with a full-length basketball floor and increased seating capacity, locker rooms, coaches and officials rooms, and a wellness center in addition to newly renovated band room, science classrooms and lab, as well as updated lighting, flooring and paint in the classrooms.

Academically, Northwestern offers elective courses in art, business, music, agriculture, and wellness in addition to the core curriculum. Students enjoy one-on-one attention with staff members, while they also can take high school, dual-credit, and AP classes online.

Northwestern has been 1:1 with technology devices in grades K-12 since 2010 with the release of the iPad. The school issues iPads to students in grades K-8 and laptops in grades 9-12. Nearly every classroom features large, flat-screen television screens, while elementary classrooms feature interactive whiteboards.

Organizations such as Future Business Leaders of America, Journalism, Drama Club, Visual Arts, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, FFA, Chess Club, Robotics, and Student Council provide students with additional learning opportunities outside the classroom. The Visual Arts team has won 5 state titles and 2 runner-up finishes. FBLA advances several students to the national convention each year. The screen-printing business run by the students encompasses both the art and business programs to make high-quality apparel for organizations inside and outside of the school. In addition to performing a spring play, the Drama Club advances thespians to the state competition in oral interpretation and one-act play. The Journalism class produces the all-state yearbook, live streams school events, and produces digital media. The Student Council organizes and manages all homecoming festivities. The FFA program allows students to explore agricultural interests and attend several events around the state each year in addition to the national convention in Indianapolis.

Athletically, Northwestern has played in 25 state championships, bringing home 15 state titles. Northwestern possesses a strong tradition of volleyball, cross country, football, basketball, track and field, and wrestling. This year we added sideline cheerleading and E-sports to our extracurricular offerings. In E-sports our League of Legends team and one Chess student qualified for the state tournament.  

A consolidated school district, Northwestern provides educational services to the towns of Ashton, Athol, Brentford, Chelsea, Conde, Cresbard, Mansfield, Mellette, and Northville. With tremendous support from parents, staff, patrons, the Booster Club, the Northwestern Community Foundation and the Plains Lions Club, Northwestern students receive a first-rate education and are the pride of their communities.