Rapid City Area Schools
Listed by NCES as Rapid City Area School District 51-4 (district ID 4659820)
Public school district · Pennington County · South Dakota · NCES district ID 4659820
Rapid City Area Schools spent $10,377 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 83% of the other South Dakota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $10,886). Its 26 schools enrolled 12,669 students in 2024-25; 25.1% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $11,037 per student, up 6.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 71% (South Dakota: 84%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among South Dakota's largest districts
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Rapid City Area Schools ranks 8.
Where the money came from
$181,479,000 in revenue: 25.1% state, 52.4% local and 22.5% federal. Total spending including $29,847,000 of capital outlay was $165,041,000, or $12,947 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$45,511,000 25%
- Local$95,123,000 52%
- Federal$40,845,000 23%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 24 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
12,743 students in 2022-23, 12,433 students in 2023-24, 12,313 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 12,743 | 807.0 | 15.8 |
| 2023-24 | 12,433 | 798.0 | 15.6 |
| 2024-25 | 12,313 | 768.7 | 16.0 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$41,099,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,224 per student
Rapid City Area Schools booked $41,099,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 809 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $50,834 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 61 in 100 South Dakota districts with a figure (state median $49,840, 141 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average South Dakota teacher salary at $49,761 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $34,777,000 | 84.6% |
| Special education | $4,774,000 | 11.6% |
| Vocational | $1,548,000 | 3.8% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,225 in 2018-19, $3,228 in 2019-20, $3,471 in 2020-21, $3,385 in 2021-22, $3,224 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Rapid City Area Schools scored proficient or above: 46% in reading and 36% in math, against 51% in reading and 42.2% in math across South Dakota. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within South Dakota, not across states.
| Subject | This district | South Dakota | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 46% | 51% | 6,504 |
| Math | 36% | 42.2% | 6,499 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
71% of the 964 students in Rapid City Area Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84% across South Dakota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | South Dakota | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 71% | 84% |
| Students in the class | 964 | 9,963 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
14 elementary schools, 5,489 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley View Elementary - 13 | 605 | 17.8 | 33.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Rapid Valley Elementary - 12 | 486 | 15.5 | 32.3% | Schoolwide program |
| General Beadle Elementary - 01 | 483 | 18.5 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Meadowbrook Elementary - 10 | 478 | 16.5 | 21.3% | Not Title I |
| Corral Drive Elementary - 21 | 439 | 20.0 | 4.6% | Not Title I |
| Grandview Elementary - 06 | 431 | 16.4 | 28.8% | Eligible, no program |
| Pinedale Elementary - 11 | 377 | 16.8 | 10.3% | Not Title I |
| Knollwood Heights Elementary - 08 | 368 | 13.0 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Woodrow Wilson Elementary - 17 | 328 | 15.8 | 37.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Robbinsdale Elementary - 14 | 328 | 13.0 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| South Park Elementary - 16 | 313 | 13.9 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Black Hawk Elementary - 03 | 305 | 15.0 | 27.5% | Not Title I |
The other 2 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Canyon Elementary - 15 | 274 | 14.4 | 28.5% | Eligible, no program |
| Horace Mann Elementary - 07 | 274 | 13.6 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
5 middle schools, 2,854 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Middle School - 36 | 618 | 13.7 | 53.6% | Eligible, no program |
| Southwest Middle School - 38 | 614 | 16.3 | 10.3% | Not Title I |
| East Middle School - 30 | 613 | 15.8 | 32.6% | Eligible, no program |
| West Middle School - 37 | 591 | 15.4 | 21.7% | Not Title I |
| North Middle School - 35 | 418 | 12.0 | 99.8% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
5 high schools, 4,221 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School - 41 | 1,998 | 17.0 | 38.4% | Not Title I |
| Stevens High School - 42 | 1,771 | 19.5 | 9.2% | Not Title I |
| Rapid City High School - 45 | 356 | 12.9 | 41.6% | Eligible, no program |
| Rapid City Online High School - 92 | 73 | not reported | 20.5% | Not Title I |
| Lincoln Building - 44 | 23 | 23.0 | 56.5% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 other schools, 105 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Building - 64 | 98 | 6.4 | 13.3% | Not Title I |
| Wellfully - 65 | 7 | 7.0 | 33.3% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 more schools on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
Rapid City High School - 45
High school in Rapid City; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (inactive); 356 students; 12.9 students per teacher.
Canyon Lake Elementary - 04
School in Rapid City; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 346 students; 13.9 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Rapid City Area Schools
- Website: rcas.org
- Phone: (605) 394-4031
- Office: 625 9th St Ste 208, Rapid City, SD 57701
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Rapid City Area Schools
- South Dakota districts by spending per studentRapid City Area Schools ranks 20 of 24 South Dakota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($10,377).#20 of 24
- Every school district in South DakotaRapid City Area Schools is the number 2 by size of 150 South Dakota districts, with 12,747 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#2 of 150
- Sioux Falls School DistrictThe next larger South Dakota district: 25,123 students in fall 2022, $11,456 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,456
- Harrisburg School DistrictThe next smaller South Dakota district: 5,912 students in fall 2022, $11,031 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,031
- Compare Rapid City Area Schools with Sioux Falls School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Central High School - 41, its largest high school1,998 students in 2024-25, 17.0 per teacher.1,998
- Teacher salary spending across South DakotaRapid City Area Schools spent $50,834 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,840); spending, not a salary.$50,834
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Rapid City Area Schools
How many schools and students are in Rapid City Area Schools?
26 schools were open in 2024-25 (14 elementary, 5 middle, 5 high, 2 other), enrolling 12,669 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Rapid City Area Schools spend per student?
$10,377 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the South Dakota median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $10,886 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $11,037 per student, up 6.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Rapid City Area Schools' money come from?
$181,479,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 25.1% state, 52.4% local and 22.5% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Rapid City Area Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,725 of the 16,395 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 10.5%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Rapid City Area Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$41,099,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,224 per student. Divided by the 809 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $50,834 per teacher, more than 61 in 100 South Dakota districts (state median $49,840). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average South Dakota teacher salary at $49,761 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Rapid City Area Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Rapid City Area Schools scored proficient or above: 46% in reading and 36% in math, against 51% in reading and 42.2% in math across South Dakota. South Dakota's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Rapid City Area Schools?
71% of the 964 students in Rapid City Area Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84% across South Dakota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Rapid City Area Schools' NCES district ID?
4659820. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25