Tea Area School District

08/28/2026

💙💛 Proud to Be a Titan Friday | Tea Area Hall of Fame Class of 2026
We are proud to introduce the Tea Area Hall of Fame Class of 2026!

This year's inductees were nominated by members of our community and selected by the Tea Area Hall of Fame Selection Committee for the lasting impact they have made on our schools and our Titan community.

Please join us in celebrating:
⭐Ruth Erickson - An educator who helped build the Tea Area band program and experienced firsthand the beginning and remarkable growth of our district.
⭐Dick & Alma Gors - Longtime members of the Tea community, Dick and Alma have spent decades serving both our schools and community. Serving students through 30 years in food service and driving bus for more than ten, both Dick and Alma serve the district with heart and dedication.
⭐Darwin Miller - A Titan who was there at the beginning - helping establish the Booster Club, working alongside volunteers to build classrooms and the original football field, and later serving our students as a bus driver.
⭐Rod Fortin - A longtime Tea community member whose years of volunteerism, youth activities, service, and support of our schools have made a difference for generations of Titans.
⭐Coleman Peterson - A Titan whose involvement in music, theater, student leadership, and the arts helped shape a career that continues to inspire and create opportunities for others.
⭐Brianna Larsen - One of Tea Area School District's early students whose excellence in music, athletics, and leadership helped establish a strong Titan tradition.
(Full biographies posted at a later time.)

Different generations. Different contributions. One lasting impact.

Each of these inductees has helped shape the Tea Area story, and we are honored to recognize them as members of the Tea Area Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

The Class of 2026 will be formally inducted prior to our Homecoming football game on Friday, September 18. Please help us congratulate our newest Hall of Fame members! 💙💛

Proud to be a Titan - past, present, and future.

08/27/2026

🚌 Behind the Scenes Thursday | More Than a Bus Route
Every afternoon, there is a moment at Tea Area Middle School when 17 school buses come together in one place.

It may look like a line of yellow buses. What you're really seeing is a carefully coordinated system responsible for something incredibly important: getting our students safely where they need to go.

Today, 1,244 students - more than 47% of our entire district enrollment - rely on Tea Area transportation. Making that happen takes planning, organization, communication, flexibility, and most importantly, a dedicated TEAM of people committed to the students entrusted to their care.

Our MS and HS students board at the middle school, allowing buses to make one stop for both schools. From there, buses move on to Legacy Elementary for our JK-5 students. Some buses run double routes, completing a first trip before returning to pick up another group of students.

That's also why our schools have staggered start and dismissal times. Our buses can't be everywhere at once, so our schools and transportation system work together as one coordinated operation.

The scale is significant:
🚌 18 regular routes travel approximately 464 miles each school day.
🚌 7 specialized routes travel another 313 miles each day.
⏰ The first bus leaves at 6:40 am, and the last bus returns at approximately 4:20 pm.
🛣️ Last year, our district transportation fleet traveled 240,032 miles, with our two activity buses adding another 27,596 miles transporting Titans to activities and events.

But the numbers only tell part of the story.

Behind the wheel of every bus is a driver who learns names and faces, watches for students at stops, navigates traffic and changing conditions, communicates when something needs attention, and carries the responsibility of safely transporting someone's child.

Our 22 bus drivers are supported by our mechanic, assistant transportation manager, and transportation manager - a 25-member transportation team working together every school day.

Routes must be planned; buses inspected and maintained. Drivers must know their students and stops. Schools must coordinate dismissal. Changes have to be communicated. And hundreds of students need to board the correct bus and arrive safely at the right destination. It is a tremendous undertaking - and even greater responsibility.

When those 17 buses line up at Tea Area Middle School, you're seeing more than buses. You're seeing 22 drivers and an entire transportation team working together. you're seeing organization, coordination, flexibility, and dedication. And most importantly, you're seeing a system built around the safe transportation of some very precious cargo - our Titans. 💛

To our entire transportation team: THANK YOU for the many miles, early mornings, long afternoons, and countless moments of care that keep our students moving safely each day. It matters. 💙💛

08/27/2026

Homecoming Week is Sunday, September 13 – Friday, September 18! 💙💛
👕 HOMECOMING SHIRTS
The Homecoming Shirt Store has been REOPENED! If you’re interested in ordering a Homecoming shirt, the store will be open through Friday, September 4 at 12:00 PM (noon).
👉 Order your shirt:
https://octaneink.chipply.com/TitanHomecoming2026
📣 HOMECOMING PARADE
Want to participate in the Homecoming Parade? Register your entry here:
👉 https://docs.google.com/.../1BFWd-ek9O4Km9N.../viewform...
🎲 TEA AREA DISTRICT-WIDE DRESS-UP DAYS
Monday, September 14
🏈 Sports – Jersey Day
Tuesday, September 15
🌈 Candyland – Neon Day
Wednesday, September 16
🎬 Guess Who? – Character Day
Dress as your favorite TV, movie, or game character!
Thursday, September 17
🎲 UNO – Class Colors
View the class colors here:
https://drive.google.com/.../1ISrIOzEFkkEGyk3IJlSpvo.../view
Friday, September 18
💙💛 TITAN SPIRIT DAY!
Let's make Homecoming 2026 one to remember! GO TITANS! 💙💛🎉

08/26/2026

🌱Titan Voices Wednesday | Our Youngest Titans
What do some of our youngest Titans have to say about school?

When Dr. Warzecha visited our Tea Sprouts Preschool classroom this week, she asked our Titan Sprouts what they were learning at school, and more importantly, what their favorite part of school was.

When it was time to vote by raising their hands, there were some clear favorites:
🎨 Art!
🧸 Playtime!
🍎 Snack!

And there were plenty of enthusiastic hands in the air for all three! Behind those simple preschool favorites, our youngest learners are doing some pretty important things - building friendships, learning routines, developing independence, creating, communicating, and discovering that school is a place where they belong. Our Sprouts teachers, Miss Huska and Mrs. Cerny, are leading the way in building a caring and supportive environment in which to learn these important things!

Sometimes the best way to learn what makes school special is simply to ask the students. We loved hearing from some of our youngest Titan Voices! 💙💛

08/25/2026

🚌 Meet the Titans Tuesday | Meet Paul O.
For some Tea Area students, one of the first Titans they see each morning is Paul, driver of the Red Route. Paul is in his 13th year driving for Tea Area, but his experience behind the wheel goes back to 1980, when he began driving a bus in Vermillion.

Ask Paul about his favorite parts of the job, and he doesn't start with the bus or the route. He starts with the students.

He enjoys greeting them each morning, watching them grow from year to year, seeing friendships develop, listening to their stories and laughter, answering their questions, and getting those occasional moments for a one-on-one conversation.

And yes, he also enjoys seeing the sunrise.

Paul summed up his approach quite simply: "As a driver, I'm trying to be a positive part of their day."

That's what One District, One Purpose looks like.

The work of educating and empowering our students doesn't begin when they walk into a classroom. Sometimes, it begins when the bus door opens and a familiar face says good morning.

Thank you, Paul, for being that familiar face for so many of our Titans. It matters. 💙💛

08/25/2026

Homecoming Week is Sunday, September 13 – Friday, September 18! 💙💛

👕 HOMECOMING SHIRTS
The Homecoming Shirt Store has been REOPENED! If you’re interested in ordering a Homecoming shirt, the store will be open through Friday, September 4 at 12:00 PM (noon).

👉 Order your shirt:
https://octaneink.chipply.com/TitanHomecoming2026

📣 HOMECOMING PARADE
Want to participate in the Homecoming Parade? Register your entry here:

👉 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1BFWd-ek9O4Km9N_pJVnlp9hahh7pd7LLay6Q1c3qfaI/viewform?edit_requested=true

🎲 TEA AREA DISTRICT-WIDE DRESS-UP DAYS

Monday, September 14
🏈 Sports – Jersey Day

Tuesday, September 15
🌈 Candyland – Neon Day

Wednesday, September 16
🎬 Guess Who? – Character Day
Dress as your favorite TV, movie, or game character!

Thursday, September 17
🎲 UNO – Class Colors
View the class colors here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ISrIOzEFkkEGyk3IJlSpvo2dcM9YEb9b/view

Friday, September 18
💙💛 TITAN SPIRIT DAY!

Let's make Homecoming 2026 one to remember! GO TITANS! 💙💛🎉

08/25/2026

The first days of school are about so much more than opening books and completing assignments. These days are about developing routines, establishing expectations, building friendships, and creating those warm and inviting environments that our staff excels at.

Great learning doesn't happen by accident. It begins with a dedicated and caring staff - Titans in every role throughout the district - building a strong community that welcomes and supports our students every step of the way.

Educating and empowering the next generation takes a team effort, and we are here for it.

08/23/2026

💛**One District. One Purpose.**

Before our staff returned for the 2026-27 school year, we prepared a shirt for every member of our Tea Area team. Each one was rolled, tagged, and ready to serve as a simple reminder that although we work in different buildings, departments, classrooms, offices, kitchens, buses, and spaces, we are united by one shared purpose: **to educate and empower each person for success.**

Dr. Warzecha prepared a special message to attach to each shirt. Her personal message said it best:

**Every smile. Every lesson. Every act of kindness. Every conversation. Every child encouraged. Every problem solved. It all matters.**

And so does every person who makes it happen. When we gathered together, hundreds of individual Titans became one Titan T—a pretty great picture of what **One District, One Purpose** really means.

We are many people, in many roles, across five schools and our District Education Center—but together, we are Tea Area.

**One District. One Purpose. Home of the Titans.** 💛

08/22/2026

🇺🇸 A Titan in the United States Senate

This summer, Tea Area High School senior Jaxon Johanneson traded South Dakota for Capitol Hill when he was selected to serve as a United States Senate Page in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Senate Page Program provides just 30 page positions to serve all 100 United States senators. Pages have a front-row seat to our nation’s legislative process while also helping with the day-to-day work of the Senate.

For Jaxon, the experience added another chapter to an impressive commitment to student leadership and public service. Earlier this year, he also served as a page in the South Dakota Senate, and he represents his classmates as a student member of the Tea Area Board of Education.

Experiences like these take learning far beyond the classroom. They allow our students to see government in action, learn alongside people from across the country, and discover the possibilities that come from being willing to step forward and serve.

We are incredibly proud to have Jaxon representing Tea Area—in Pierre, in Washington, D.C., and right here at home.

Congratulations, Jaxon! What an extraordinary experience for a Tea Area Titan. 💙💛

08/19/2026

A big thank you to the Tea Chamber for Development for spotlighting the Tea Area School District! 💙💛

We appreciate the recognition and the Chamber’s continued support of our schools, staff, students, and community. We are proud to be part of such a supportive community and grateful for the opportunity to share what makes Tea Area such a special place!

Built by community. Growing with purpose. 💙💛

Our latest Business Spotlight features the Tea Area School District!

Since 2003, the district has grown to serve more than 2,500 students while creating opportunities for every Titan through academics, fine arts, athletics, activities, and the dedication of its educators and staff.

Tea Area School District is preparing tomorrow’s leaders while thoughtfully growing alongside the families and communities it serves.

Read their full story: https://bit.ly/4iib36l