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Belle Fourche, South Dakota - 5 schools
An equity score of 50/100 ranks Belle Fourche School District 09-1 #55 of 121 districts in South Dakota (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $10,486 per pupil, Belle Fourche School District 09-1 ranks #122 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,329
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$10,486
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Belle Fourche School District 09-1 operates 5 public schools serving 1,329 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 2 high 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 Butte County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,486 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower 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 38.6% local, 41.5% state, and 20.0% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 50/100, ranked #55 of 121 in South Dakota against a state average of 51, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 344.5:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 24.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 85.5% White, 8.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is South Park Elementary - 03, with a diversity index of 29.9/100.
Belle Fourche Middle School - 07 accounts for 31.2% of all Belle Fourche School District 09-1 student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Belle Fourche School District 09-1-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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.
Belle Fourche School District 09-1 school enrollment varies 7.3× across entities
Belle Fourche School District 09-1 school enrollment ranges from 57 students (lowest) to 414 students (highest), a spread of 357 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.
Belle Fourche School District 09-1 student-counselor ratio is 345:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Belle Fourche School District 09-1 is typically wider than the Belle Fourche School District 09-1-aggregate figure suggests.
Belle Fourche School District 09-1 chronic absenteeism rate is 24.8% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Belle Fourche School District 09-1 is typically wider than the Belle Fourche School District 09-1-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Belle Fourche School District 09-1'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.
How many schools are in Belle Fourche School District 09-1?
Belle Fourche School District 09-1 has 5 schools, including 3 elementary, 2 high. Total enrollment is 1,329 students.
How much does Belle Fourche School District 09-1 spend per student?
Belle Fourche School District 09-1 spends $10,486 per student. The district has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #55 in South Dakota.
What is the demographic composition of Belle Fourche School District 09-1?
Belle Fourche School District 09-1 students are 85.5% White, 8.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Belle Fourche School District 09-1?
Belle Fourche School District 09-1 has an equity score of 50/100, ranking #55 out of 121 districts in South Dakota.