Whenever a civil, state, religious, or public organization makes an application for the purchase of any common school or endowment land to be used for public purposes, not exceeding one hundred sixty acres, and files a plat and a statement of the purpose for which the land is to be used in the Office of the Commissioner of School and Public Lands, the commissioner may appraise the tract in the manner provided by law for the appraisement of school and public lands.
SDCL 5-9-34