When it comes to going to school in South Dakota, there is no shortage of haunted tales surrounding these learning institutions. Whether it is in McLaughlin where both the middle and high school are said to be haunted or the weird happenings at Edmunds Central High School in Roscoe, there are plenty of tales to go around.
The ghosts of janitors both haunt the McLaughlin Middle School and the McLaughlin High School. At the high school, the ghost comes from an accident that occurred close to the pool. A janitor slipped on the floor of the pool area and died. They say his whistles can be heard filling the hallways. He has also been spotted mopping the hall as well. Another ghost is said to roam about the premises. The ghost of a former gym teacher is said to be responsible for the sound of basketballs coming from the gym when the lights are turned out.
At the Crow Creek High School, located at Fort Thompson, the halls are said to be filled with the apparitions of priests and nuns. As for the Isabel School in Isabel, the ghost of a boy who was suffocated in one of the janitors’ room has been spotted on the premises. Those who see him usually are the janitors of the school, who often find him, as well as hear his voice.
The old auditorium within the Pine Ridge High School in Pine Ridge has had some odd events occur on the premises. Within one of the classrooms, security was called to check on the sighting of an old woman. When they arrived, she was nowhere to be seen. It is thought that she was a ghost. The old auditorium is the site where a boy suffered a heart attack during the 1950s. At the time of his death, he was the only one in the auditorium and his body was not found for some time. It is believed that his ghost haunts the premises.
A ghost that has received the nickname, the Santa Claus ghost, haunts the Wall High School in Wall. This is because the day before Christmas, around 11:30, unexplainable footsteps can be heard. Other dismiss this claim of a Christmastime ghost and believe that it is the ghost of a principal, who was a victim in an odd electrical fire. This occurred in 1930, where he burned to death.
At the Edmunds Central High School in Roscoe, numerous teachers here have reported odd events happening on the premises. Doors have been known to open and close on their own, as well as the unexplainable disarray of certain classrooms. This has been known to happen in rooms where the doors were locked. No sign of forced entry was detected either. During the night, many teachers claim that they have been followed by the sound of footsteps when no one else was around. It is thought that the ghost on the premises is named Harold, who was once a janitor at the school.
Additional haunted schools throughout South Dakota includes: the Wolf Creek School in Pine Ridge; the Salem High School in Salem; Belle Fourche High School in Belle Fourche, as well as the Flandreau Indian School.