Brandon Valley School District 49-2

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.

Brandon, South Dakota - 12 schools

An equity score of 22/100 ranks Brandon Valley School District 49-2 #116 of 121 districts in South Dakota (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $9,822 per pupil, Brandon Valley School District 49-2 ranks #141 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,948
Total Enrollment
12
Schools
$9,822
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Brandon Valley School District 49-2 operates 12 public schools serving 4,948 students, placing it among the smaller districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 elementary, 2 high, 2 middle, 1 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Minnehaha County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $9,822 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 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 45.9% local, 41.0% state, and 13.1% 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 22/100, ranked #116 of 121 in South Dakota against a state average of 51, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 12 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), and 9.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 80.9% White, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 4.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Inspiration Elementary - 08, with a diversity index of 50.3/100.

Its largest campus is Brandon Valley High School - 01, enrolling 1,381 students (26% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Brandon Valley Distance Learning Academy Intermediate - 90, at 3 students, a 460x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Brandon Valley High School - 01 accounts for 26.4% of all Brandon Valley School District 49-2 student enrollment

That concentration means Brandon Valley School District 49-2-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

Brandon Valley School District 49-2 school enrollment varies 460× across entities

Brandon Valley School District 49-2 school enrollment ranges from 3 students (lowest) to 1,381 students (highest), a spread of 1,378 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. 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

Brandon Valley School District 49-2 chronic absenteeism rate is 9.6% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 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 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

13.1%
Federal
41.0%
State
45.9%
Local

Funding Equity

22
Equity Score
116 / 121
State Rank
51
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 12 schools in Brandon Valley School District 49-2.

White 80.9%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
African American 4.8%
Asian 1.9%
Multiracial 5.2%
Other 1.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 33.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Brandon Valley School District 49-2's schools, above the South Dakota average of 27.6.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Inspiration Elementary - 08 50.3
  2. 2 Brandon Elementary - 03 38.5
  3. 3 Brandon Valley Intermediate - 07 36.4
  4. 4 Brandon Valley Middle School - 02 30.3
  5. 5 Brandon Valley High School - 01 26.7

Programs & Resources

1 / 12
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
9.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Brandon Valley School District 49-2

How Brandon Valley School District 49-2 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Aberdeen School District 06-1 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Harrisburg School District 41-2 Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Watertown School District 14-4 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Brookings School District 05-1 Smaller Similar spending Similar funding mix
Meade School District 46-1 Smaller Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Brandon Valley School District 49-2'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 Brandon Valley School District 49-2

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 Brandon Valley School District 49-2?

Brandon Valley School District 49-2 has 12 schools, including 2 high, 7 elementary, 2 middle, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 4,948 students.

How much does Brandon Valley School District 49-2 spend per student?

Brandon Valley School District 49-2 spends $9,822 per student. The district has an equity score of 22/100, ranking #116 in South Dakota.

What is the demographic composition of Brandon Valley School District 49-2?

Brandon Valley School District 49-2 students are 80.9% White, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 4.8% African American, 1.9% Asian, averaged across 12 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Brandon Valley School District 49-2?

Brandon Valley School District 49-2 has an equity score of 22/100, ranking #116 out of 121 districts in South Dakota.