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Brookings, South Dakota - 6 schools
An equity score of 40/100 ranks Brookings School District 05-1 #77 of 121 districts in South Dakota (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,042 per pupil, Brookings School District 05-1 ranks #112 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,431
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$11,042
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Brookings School District 05-1 operates 6 public schools serving 3,431 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 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 Brookings County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,042 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 51.4% local, 36.4% state, and 12.1% 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 40/100, ranked #77 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 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 349.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 23.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 76.1% White, 10.5% Hispanic or Latino, 3.0% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Medary Elementary - 05, with a diversity index of 51.8/100.
Its largest campus is Brookings High School - 01, enrolling 979 students (28% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Hillcrest Elementary - 04, at 316 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Brookings High School - 01 accounts for 28.3% of all Brookings School District 05-1 student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Brookings School District 05-1-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.
Brookings School District 05-1 school enrollment varies 3.1× across entities
Brookings School District 05-1 school enrollment ranges from 316 students (lowest) to 979 students (highest), a spread of 663 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.
Brookings School District 05-1 student-counselor ratio is 349:1 — 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 Brookings School District 05-1 is typically wider than the Brookings School District 05-1-aggregate figure suggests.
Brookings School District 05-1 chronic absenteeism rate is 23.0% — 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 Brookings School District 05-1 is typically wider than the Brookings School District 05-1-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Brookings School District 05-1'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 Brookings School District 05-1?
Brookings School District 05-1 has 6 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,431 students.
How much does Brookings School District 05-1 spend per student?
Brookings School District 05-1 spends $11,042 per student. The district has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #77 in South Dakota.
What is the demographic composition of Brookings School District 05-1?
Brookings School District 05-1 students are 76.1% White, 10.5% Hispanic or Latino, 3.0% African American, 2.6% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Brookings School District 05-1?
Brookings School District 05-1 has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #77 out of 121 districts in South Dakota.