SMK Negeri 1 Pacitan was established as Sekolah Pembangun Industri Kerajinan (SPIK) on November 30th 1968 through the letters issued by The Head of Public Vocational and Courses Education Directorate on behalf of The Directorate General of Elementary Education, numbered 383/UKK-3/1968. On the early years as SPIK Pacitan, this school held a 4-years school term.
In July 16th 1977, The Head of Sub Direktorat Pembinaan Pendidikan Teknologi Kerumahtanggaan dan Kejuruan Kemasyarakatan (P2 TK3), Directorate of Vocational Highschool Education issued a letter numbered 5.3.398.77 which stated that all SPIKs were changed to SMIK (Sekolah Menengah Industri Kerajinan), still with 4-years school term. SPIK Pacitan was of course be part of this decision, thus changed its name to SMIK Negeri Pacitan in the same year the letter was issued.
But then again, in April 3rd 1997, The Department of Education and Culture issued a letter numbered 036/0/1997 which in one of its disposition instructing that all SMIKs should then be changed to SMK (Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan), marking the era of 3-years school term, and also the era of generalized term for any vocational highschool into just SMK. Before this letter was issued, technical vocational school was called STM (Sekolah Teknik Menengah), vocational school of economy was called SMEA (Sekolah Menengah Ekonomi Atas), arts and crafts vocational school was called SMIK (Sekolah Menengah Industri Kerajinan), and so on.
So, SMK Negeri 1 Pacitan was transformed from its establishment as SPIK Pacitan in 1968, to be SMIK Negeri Pacitan in 1977, and finally became SMK Negeri 1 Pacitan in April 3rd 1997.
