The 2025-26 DECA Competition preparation is already underway, as nearly 60 students completed the online testing portion on Tuesday, December 2. 

While students won’t know their test results until the District Competition on January 10, 2026, at Anchor Bay High School, DECA Moderator Dennis Koch, ‘94, is working with students now, conducting practices for the role-play portion of the competition that occurs at those Districts. Read more about Dennis Koch.

On December 9, the DLS DECA team conducted a joint practice with the newly-formed Regina High School DECA team.

 “The experience was a first for the Regina team as well as the first practice opportunity for many of our new members, particularly freshmen and sophomores,” Koch said. 

Koch said the students in the practice only “competed” in those events in common with Regina. 

Senior Evan Kelley, DECA Team Captain, said that DLS and Regina each had about 20 students competing in seven events.

Evan explained that in those competitive events, students are given a prompt, and then have ten minutes to prepare, and then ten minutes to present. He said, “Practicing with Regina was valuable. It helped bridge the connection between our two schools, and there was a lot of school spirit between the two teams.”

For the joint practice with Regina, Koch judged, as well as personnel from Christian Financial Credit Union (CFCU) which has been extremely supportive of the DECA program since its inception at DLS in 2010. 

He added, “This event represents another DECA initiative in helping Regina establish and develop its own DECA program.”

When students compete at Districts, ⅓ of the score is the online test result and the other ⅔ of scores will be earned in the “role-play” events. Top scorers go on to the state competition. DLS has had a commendable record at that level, and has sent students to the international competition nearly every year for the last several years. 

The DECA team will be practicing during the week leading up to the January 10 competition. 

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