Armour School District 21-1

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Armour, South Dakota - 3 schools

An equity score of 68/100 ranks Armour School District 21-1 #26 of 121 districts in South Dakota (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,344 per pupil, Armour School District 21-1 ranks #61 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

219
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$13,344
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Armour School District 21-1 operates 3 public schools serving 219 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Douglas County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,344 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending. See how South Dakota compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 54.5% local, 30.6% state, and 14.8% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 68/100, ranked #26 of 121 in South Dakota against a state average of 51, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 75.3:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 13.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 84.2% White, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 3.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Armour Middle School - 03, with a diversity index of 35.0/100.

Its largest campus is Armour Elementary - 02, enrolling 119 students (53% of the district's total enrollment).

Armour Elementary - 02 accounts for 52.7% of all Armour School District 21-1 student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Armour School District 21-1 a distant remainder — means Armour School District 21-1-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Armour School District 21-1 school enrollment varies 2.4× across entities

Armour School District 21-1 school enrollment ranges from 50 students (lowest) to 119 students (highest), a spread of 69 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Armour School District 21-1 student-counselor ratio is 75:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Armour School District 21-1 chronic absenteeism rate is 13.2% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

14.8%
Federal
30.6%
State
54.5%
Local

Funding Equity

68
Equity Score
26 / 121
State Rank
51
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Armour School District 21-1.

White 84.2%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
African American 3.4%
Multiracial 3.3%
Other 3.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 28.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Armour School District 21-1's schools, about the same as the South Dakota average of 27.6.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Armour Middle School - 03 35.0
  2. 2 Armour High School - 01 25.5
  3. 3 Armour Elementary - 02 24.1

Programs & Resources

75.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
13.2%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Armour School District 21-1

School Enrollment
Armour Elementary - 02
119
Armour High School - 01
57
Armour Middle School - 03
50

How Armour School District 21-1 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The South Dakota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Wilmot School District 54-7 Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Highmore-Harrold 34-2 Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Avon School District 04-1 Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Harding County School District 31-1 Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Gettysburg School District 53-1 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Armour School District 21-1's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in South Dakota

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Armour School District 21-1

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Sioux Falls School District 49-5 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Armour School District 21-1?

Armour School District 21-1 has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 219 students.

How much does Armour School District 21-1 spend per student?

Armour School District 21-1 spends $13,344 per student. The district has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #26 in South Dakota.

What is the demographic composition of Armour School District 21-1?

Armour School District 21-1 students are 84.2% White, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 3.4% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Armour School District 21-1?

Armour School District 21-1 has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #26 out of 121 districts in South Dakota.