Dell Rapids School District 49-3 operates 3 public schools serving 982 students, placing it among the smaller districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 965 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Minnehaha County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,415 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 56.3% local, 29.7% state, and 14.0% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $63,811 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 32/100, ranked #94 of 121 in South Dakota against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 186.1:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 11.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.4% White, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% African American across the district's schools.
Dell Rapids Elementary - 02 accounts for 36.8% of all Dell Rapids School District 49-3 student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Dell Rapids School District 49-3-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.
Dell Rapids School District 49-3 student-counselor ratio is 186:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Dell Rapids School District 49-3 chronic absenteeism rate is 11.5% — 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.
How many schools are in Dell Rapids School District 49-3?
Dell Rapids School District 49-3 has 3 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 high. Total enrollment is 982 students.
How much does Dell Rapids School District 49-3 spend per student?
Dell Rapids School District 49-3 spends $12,415 per student. The district has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #94 in South Dakota.
What is the average teacher salary in Dell Rapids School District 49-3?
The average teacher salary in Dell Rapids School District 49-3 is $63,811 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Dell Rapids School District 49-3?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Minnehaha County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Dell Rapids School District 49-3?
Dell Rapids School District 49-3 students are 91.4% White, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Dell Rapids School District 49-3?
Dell Rapids School District 49-3 has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #94 out of 121 districts in South Dakota. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.