The Lakota Local School District covers a total area of 68 square miles in West Chester and Liberty Townships, which is in the northern suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. With two high schools, a freshman school, four junior schools, ten elementary schools, and four early childhood schools, Lakota has grown in the last 20 years from a rural district to a suburban district with student population of over 18,000. Lakota is Ohio's largest "Excellent" district six years running. Liberty Township's official website! West Chester Township's official website! Map of Community! History of West Chester!  History of Liberty Township! Township Information: Liberty Township 6400 Princeton Road Hamilton, OH 45011 Voice: 513.759.7500 Fax: 513.759.7501 West Chester Township 9113 Cincinnati Dayton Road West Chester, OH 45069Voice: 513.777.5900 Fax: 513.779.9369

The Lakota Schools Instrumental Music Program

The Lakota Schools Band Program

Lakota prides itself on offering a wide range of quality instrumental experiences, including concert band, jazz band, marching band, pep band, and other small ensembles.  At Lakota, band instruction begins in sixth grade at each of the ten elementary schools, meeting twice per week for 40 minutes.  Directors team-teach and are woodwind, brass or percussion specialists, paired accordingly.  Students met in heterogeneous groups and are often divided into woodwind or brass/percussion.  For the past 10 years, approximately 700 beginners a year have joined the instrumental music program. There are four junior schools in the Lakota District. Hopewell Junior and Liberty Junior both are Lakota East feeder schools and have three seventh and two eighth grade concert bands, which meet daily throughout the school year.  The junior schools also have one seventh and one eighth grade jazz band, which meet daily for one semester of the school year.  The concert bands, that are equal in ability and instrumentation, consist of between 50 to 60 members.  The jazz bands consist of 25-45 members.  Jazz band students are also members of a concert band.  All junior schools eighth grade concert bands participate in OMEA large group adjudicated and consistently earn superior ratings.

The History of the Lakota East High School Band Program

Lakota East High School consists of two campuses, the Lakota East Freshman Campus for 9^thgrade and the Lakota East Main Campus for students grades 10-12.  The Main Campus opened the doors in the fall of 1997.  At that time, the band program had one 87 member concert band, one after school jazz band, and a 96 member marching band. Since 1997, the program has grown to five concert bands, five jazz bands, and a 220 member marching band. All band classes held during the school day with the exception of Marching Band which meets after school.

The Lakota East High School Concert Bands

The Freshman Campus has two concert bands (OMEA Class C).  At the Main Campus students are auditioned and placed into one of three concert bands; Symphonic Winds (OMEA Class AA), Symphonic Band (OMEA Class A) and Concert Band (OMEA Class B) based on their musical maturity.  Symphonic Winds, the top concert band, went from an OMEA Class B band in 1998 to OMEA Class AA in 2000.  Symphonic Winds has received superior ratings at every district and state level adjudicated events in Classes B, A and AA.  In 2001, 2004, and 2007, Symphonic Winds participated in the National Adjudicators Invitational Events and received superior ratings as well as the Top Honor Band Award each time.  The band has also performed on three different occasions at the Ohio Music Education Association’s Professional Development Conference.  Other performances include, the Ohio University Concert Band Clinic, the BGSU New Music Reading Clinic and the University of Akron OBDC and the Capital University New Music Clinic and the Music for All National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis. All five Lakota East Concert Bands have consistently earned Superior Ratings at OMEA Adjudicated Events.  All students are highly encouraged to participate in various honor bands ranging from OMEA District XIII Honor Band to All-State Band and Orchestra. Another important part of the overall program is solo/ensemble adjudicated event.  All students enrolled band (9-12) participate in at least two events, a small ensemble and a full choir.  This year, Lakota East will have over 200 solo and ensemble entries.

The Lakota East High School Jazz Bands

The Lakota East High School Jazz program offers three-ability based jazz bands at the Main Campus (grades 10-12) and two jazz bands at the Freshman Campus.  These jazz groups perform and receive top ratings at various concerts and festivals throughout the community, state and country.  In 2010 Lakota’s Eastside Jazz Ensemble was selected as one of twelve high school big bands to be invited to the Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival in Monterey, California. In 2009 they were one of only 12 high school big bands in the country to receive an invitation to perform at Savannah Music Festival’s Swing Central Competition. Eastside Jazz Ensemble participated in the 2009 University of Louisville Jazz festival where they received a superior rating and were the only high school group selected to perform at the festival’s final professional evening concert.  The Jazz Ensemble was invited as one of the top ten applicants from around the country to perform at the 2007 University of North Texas Jazz Festival.  The ensemble also performed at the 2007 Ohio Music Education Association Professional Conference. The Lakota East Jazz Program includes jazz combos. These combos meet weekly after school, allowing students the opportunity to rehearse and perform in small jazz ensembles, with a heavy emphasis on the art of improvisation.  In 2009-2010 Lakota East High School had three jazz combos, each of which performed regularly in Lakota Schools and in the Greater Cincinnati area.

The Lakota East High School Marching Band

The Thunderhawk Marching Band is a co-curricular activity after school.  All of Lakota East’s instrumentalists are strongly encouraged to be part of this award winning group.  Along with numerous best in class, best of show and grand champion awards, the Thunderhawk Marching Band has received superior ratings at every adjudicated event in which it has appeared, have performed at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, California, and most recently the band traveled to Pearl Harbor and the Waikiki Holiday Parade in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Lakota Local Schools

Located in southwestern Ohio, Lakota is the 7th largest school district in the state, and the largest school district in Butler County. The word 'Lakota' is an Indian name meaning coming together, unity, or togetherness.   The Lakota community has undergone the change from a rural agricultural area to a cosmopolitan community that embraces it agricultural heritage as it strives toward the future that the growth of the area demands.  With two high schools, two freshman schools, four junior schools, ten elementary schools, and four early childhood schools, Lakota has grown in the last 20 years from a rural district to a suburban district with student population of over 18,000. Enthusiastic teachers and a comprehensive curriculum provide students with a strong foundation in core subjects, as well as, art, music, and physical education.  Lakota students have made their mark across the state and country, earning regional and national honors in mathematics, journalism, music, science and athletics.  More than 90% of Lakota graduates are college-bound.

The Lakota East Upbeat Club

The Lakota East Upbeat Club (LEUC) is the band booster organization that supports the concert bands, the jazz bands and the marching band for the Lakota East High School, and East Freshman School. The LEUC provides the physical and financial support (over $40,000/year) for ALL the bands, and ensembles.  We work year around to support the entire program and the band directors.