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Dell Rapids, South Dakota - 3 schools
An equity score of 31/100 ranks Dell Rapids School District 49-3 #97 of 121 districts in South Dakota (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $10,597 per pupil, Dell Rapids School District 49-3 ranks #119 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
982
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$10,597
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Dell Rapids School District 49-3 operates 3 public schools serving 982 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high 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 Minnehaha County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,597 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 56.3% local, 29.7% state, and 14.0% 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 31/100, ranked #97 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 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. Its most demographically mixed campus is Dell Rapids High School - 01, with a diversity index of 17.6/100.
Its largest campus is Dell Rapids Elementary - 02, enrolling 355 students (37% of the district's total enrollment).
Dell Rapids Elementary - 02 accounts for 36.2% of all Dell Rapids School District 49-3 student enrollment
That dominant concentration 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.
Comparisons are relative to Dell Rapids School District 49-3'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 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 $10,597 per student. The district has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #97 in South Dakota.
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 31/100, ranking #97 out of 121 districts in South Dakota.