THE PROMISE OF IOWA
by M. Dykstra
Believe it or not, the Sibley – Ocheyedan School District has not always existed. Ocheyedan and Sibley used to have their own schools in their own town with their own mascot names. The Sibley – Ocheyedan Consolidated School District was officially formed on July 1, 1985.
The first school in the town of Sibley was founded in 1847; the first school in Ocheyedan opened its doors in 1972. Both schools had many advancements throughout the individual years up until the year that they merged. The Ocheyedan School had been remodeled many times in order to make room for more classrooms.
In 1984, the Ocheyedan School noticed a decrease in the number of enrolled students. This decrease led to an election, which led to the merger of the two schools. The 1985-1986 school year was the first school year that students attended (and graduated from) Sibley – Ocheyedan Schools.