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.
North Sioux City, South Dakota - 4 schools
An equity score of 21/100 ranks Dakota Valley School District 61-8 #118 of 121 districts in South Dakota (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $10,430 per pupil, Dakota Valley School District 61-8 ranks #124 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,387
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$10,430
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Dakota Valley School District 61-8 operates 4 public schools serving 1,387 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 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 Union County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,430 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 66.0% local, 23.8% state, and 10.2% 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 21/100, ranked #118 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 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 269.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 10.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 74.7% White, 11.3% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04, with a diversity index of 46.9/100.
Dakota Valley High School - 01 accounts for 31.1% of all Dakota Valley School District 61-8 student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Dakota Valley School District 61-8-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.
Dakota Valley School District 61-8 school enrollment varies 2.4× across entities
Dakota Valley School District 61-8 school enrollment ranges from 179 students (lowest) to 431 students (highest), a spread of 252 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.
Dakota Valley School District 61-8 student-counselor ratio is 270:1 — 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 Dakota Valley School District 61-8 is typically wider than the Dakota Valley School District 61-8-aggregate figure suggests.
Dakota Valley School District 61-8 chronic absenteeism rate is 10.4% — 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.
Comparisons are relative to Dakota Valley School District 61-8'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 Dakota Valley School District 61-8?
Dakota Valley School District 61-8 has 4 schools, including 1 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,387 students.
How much does Dakota Valley School District 61-8 spend per student?
Dakota Valley School District 61-8 spends $10,430 per student. The district has an equity score of 21/100, ranking #118 in South Dakota.
What is the demographic composition of Dakota Valley School District 61-8?
Dakota Valley School District 61-8 students are 74.7% White, 11.3% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% Asian, 2.0% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Dakota Valley School District 61-8?
Dakota Valley School District 61-8 has an equity score of 21/100, ranking #118 out of 121 districts in South Dakota.