Our community
Leupp is a rural community on the southwestern edge of the Navajo Nation, about 30 miles northwest of Winslow and 50 miles east of Flagstaff. It is a close community of about 1,500 people, where many elders still keep livestock, farm, practice arts and crafts, and pass on cultural teachings.
Leupp Schools, Inc. sits at the heart of that community, serving students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Who we serve
Students come from the Tsidiitoii, Leupp and Tolani Lake chapters and from nearby communities such as Coalmine and Dilcon. Some Navajo families living in Flagstaff and Winslow choose the residential home so their children can attend school here.
School buses cover a wide area, from Grand Falls and Black Falls to Canyon Diablo, Sand Springs, Tolani Lake and toward Winslow.
Leupp at a glance
- Western Navajo Agency, Navajo Nation
- 30 miles northwest of Winslow, 50 miles east of Flagstaff
- A community of about 1,500
- Kindergarten through twelfth grade, with a residential home
Our story
From a boarding school on the flood plain to a school run by its own community.
A first school at Old Leupp
The first school in Leupp was a boarding school built in 1902 at Old Leupp, close to the Little Colorado River. Floods made the site unsafe, and after a second flood in 1938 the school closed.
A new school on higher ground
The community chose a new site on higher ground. Leupp Boarding School opened there in 1960 and soon filled with students from across the Navajo Nation.
When enrollment later fell and buildings stood empty, the community found a way to put them to work, leasing a dormitory to Tooh Dineh Industries as a workplace that still provides local jobs.
The community takes the lead
Under the Indian Self-Determination Act, the school became a K–12 contract school, and the responsibility for running it moved closer to home.
Leupp Schools, Inc.
In 1988 the school became a grant school and took the name it carries today: Leupp Schools, Inc.
A new campus
New academic and gymnasium/cafeteria buildings opened in the fall of 2008 for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
A home away from home
The new residential home opened in 2009, with room for 98 students. The campus also has a Hogan, a dome-shaped library and staff housing.
Old school building
Run by the community, for the community
In 1986 the community began running the school itself. Today Leupp Schools, Inc. is a tribally controlled school guided by its own Governing Board, so the decisions that shape students’ days are made close to home.
Forty years on, local control is part of who the school is.
Guided locally
A Governing Board oversees the school and its direction.
Rooted in Diné values
K’é, Iiná and perseverance sit at the center of the school’s welcome.
Language in the classroom
Navajo Language is part of what students learn.