TULSA (AP) — A school established more than 100 years ago by a Native American tribe will be part of the Bureau of Indian Education school system and eligible for additional funding, an Oklahoma congressman said.

U.S. Rep. Dan Boren secured language to reinstate Jones Academy, a Choctaw Nation school near Hartshorne, to the system and included it in an omnibus appropriations bill that recently passed the House.

"Restoring Jones Academy to the BIA has been a priority of mine," Boren, a Democrat, told the Tulsa World.

The Jones Academy's removal from the system dates back to a federal government program in the 1950s, he said. It was repealed in 1970, but the school's removal remained in effect.

The Choctaw Nation established the school in 1891. It has enrolled students from 29 federally recognized tribes and from different states.

Boren called the change allowing the school to once again be part of the program an important step in keeping promises the United States made to Indian tribes.

"It is imperative to support Native American education," Boren said. "Tribal students have a dropout rate higher than any other racial or ethnic group in America."

As a result, he said, many of their languages and cultural traditions are beginning to disappear.

"Schools like Jones Academy, which teach tribal languages and craftsmanship, are working to reverse this trend," Boren said.

Choctaw Nation Chief Gregory Pyle welcomed the legislation.

"Reinstating the Academic Program at Jones Academy will ensure that our students receive a complete academic education in a culturally rich setting," Pyle said.