Lakota East and West drum majors highlight marching-band season and recruitment at school board meeting

Students representing Lakota East and Lakota West presented a student‑spotlight at the board meeting, describing the structure of the marching‑band programs, competitive achievements and plans for the upcoming season.

Irene Antiri (Lakota East) told trustees that the band community invested "hours upon hours" of preparation and that more than 200 people are involved in some shows. Savannah Craig previewed Lakota East’s competition show — "Chaos in the Court" — and mentioned trips to Orlando, Florida, and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indiana.

Lakota West drum majors Mikayla November and Mikayla Montz described West’s two‑band approach: a football band (about 288 members with one weekly practice) for students who cannot commit to the competitive schedule, and a competitive band (about 199 students) that rehearses three times a week and travels for competitions. Students said bringing eighth‑graders into programs is intended to grow experience and retention over a multi‑year period.

Board members praised the students and asked about heat and band‑camp endurance, to which students responded that the work is hard but rewarding and that early exposure should speed up show readiness in future years. The board invited students to take a photo on stage and encouraged community support for the music program.

The spotlight gave trustees a concrete example of extracurricular value tied to the district’s broader master facilities and programming discussions, with members noting how space upgrades and grade‑band changes could expand access to music and other specials.