Bowdle School District 22-1

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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Bowdle, South Dakota - 4 schools

At $19,422 per pupil, Bowdle School District 22-1 ranks #11 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

116
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$19,422
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Bowdle School District 22-1 operates 4 public schools serving 116 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined 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 Edmunds County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $19,422 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 15 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 68.5% local, 17.1% state, and 14.4% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers.

a 80:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 19.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 87.8% White, 3.1% Asian, 2.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Bowdle Jr. High - 03, with a diversity index of 27.0/100.

Its largest campus is Bowdle Elementary - 02, enrolling 40 students (44% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Bowdle Preschool - 04, at 7 students, a 6x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Bowdle Elementary - 02 accounts for 34.5% of all Bowdle School District 22-1 student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Bowdle School District 22-1-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: elementary. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Bowdle School District 22-1 school enrollment varies 5.7× across entities

Bowdle School District 22-1 school enrollment ranges from 7 students (lowest) to 40 students (highest), a spread of 33 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

Bowdle School District 22-1 student-counselor ratio is 80:1 — 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

Bowdle School District 22-1 chronic absenteeism rate is 19.9% — 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 Bowdle School District 22-1 is typically wider than the Bowdle School District 22-1-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

14.4%
Federal
17.1%
State
68.5%
Local

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Bowdle School District 22-1.

White 87.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.3%
Asian 3.1%
Multiracial 1.9%
Other 4.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 21.7/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Bowdle School District 22-1's schools, below the South Dakota average of 27.6.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Bowdle Jr. High - 03 27.0
  2. 2 Bowdle Elementary - 02 26.9
  3. 3 Bowdle Preschool - 04 24.5
  4. 4 Bowdle High School - 01 8.2

Programs & Resources

80:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
19.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Bowdle School District 22-1

School Enrollment
Bowdle Elementary - 02
40
Bowdle High School - 01
23
Bowdle Jr. High - 03
20
Bowdle Preschool - 04
7

How Bowdle School District 22-1 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Oelrichs School District 23-3 Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Hoven School District 53-2 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
White Lake School District 01-3 Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Bison School District 52-1 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Mcintosh School District 15-1 Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Bowdle School District 22-1'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.

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Bowdle School District 22-1

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 Bowdle School District 22-1?

Bowdle School District 22-1 has 4 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 116 students.

How much does Bowdle School District 22-1 spend per student?

Bowdle School District 22-1 spends $19,422 per student.

What is the demographic composition of Bowdle School District 22-1?

Bowdle School District 22-1 students are 87.8% White, 3.1% Asian, 2.3% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.