Freeman Junior College and Academy Close After Over a Century

Declining enrollment and community divisions over Mennonite affiliation led to the closure of the long-running educational institutions.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 5:38pm

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After over a century of operation, the Freeman, South Dakota-based Freeman Junior College and Freeman Academy have voted to permanently close their doors. The schools, founded by local Mennonites in 1900 with a mix of audacity and hope, struggled with declining enrollments in recent years, with some in the community refusing to send their children due to the schools' affiliation with the splintered Mennonite Church USA.

Why it matters

The closure of these Mennonite-affiliated schools marks the end of an era for the town of Freeman, which was once considered a Mennonite mecca. It reflects broader trends of declining religious affiliation and the challenges facing small, community-based educational institutions, especially those tied to shrinking denominations.

The details

The South Dakota Mennonite College Corporation established Freeman Junior College in 1900, and Freeman Academy was added later. Despite the fervent contributions of supporters and alumni over the decades, the schools have faced crushing financial burdens due to diminished enrollments. Some in the local community refused to send their children to the schools because of their affiliation with the Mennonite Church USA, which has itself become a splintered and diminished entity.

  • The South Dakota Mennonite College Corporation established Freeman Junior College in 1900.
  • Freeman Academy was added to the schools at a later date.
  • Freeman Junior College closed its doors in 1986.
  • On January 31, 2026, the board voted to close Freeman Academy.

The players

South Dakota Mennonite College Corporation

The organization that established Freeman Junior College in 1900 and later added Freeman Academy.

Freeman, South Dakota

The town that was once considered a Mennonite mecca, but will now be known for its U.S. and military flags and growing war memorial.

Mennonite Church USA

The Christian denomination with which the Freeman schools were affiliated, which has become a splintered and diminished entity in recent years.

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What they’re saying

“It must have been with a mixture of audacity and hope that Freeman, S.D., area Mennonites established the South Dakota Mennonite College Corporation in 1900.”

— David E. Ortman, Seattle resident

The takeaway

The closure of Freeman Junior College and Freeman Academy marks the end of an era for the Mennonite community in Freeman, South Dakota, reflecting broader challenges facing small, community-based educational institutions tied to shrinking religious denominations.