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.
Garretson, South Dakota - 3 schools
An equity score of 31/100 ranks Garretson School District 49-4 #99 of 121 districts in South Dakota (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $10,419 per pupil, Garretson School District 49-4 ranks #125 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
460
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$10,419
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Garretson School District 49-4 operates 3 public schools serving 460 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 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 Minnehaha County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,419 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 53.4% local, 37.5% state, and 9.1% 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 31/100, ranked #99 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 246.7:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 11.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 88.4% White, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Garretson Middle School - 03, with a diversity index of 28.7/100.
Its largest campus is Garretson Elementary - 02, enrolling 246 students (50% of the district's total enrollment).
Garretson Elementary - 02 accounts for 49.9% of all Garretson School District 49-4 student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Garretson School District 49-4 a distant remainder — means Garretson School District 49-4-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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.
Garretson School District 49-4 school enrollment varies 2.3× across entities
Garretson School District 49-4 school enrollment ranges from 105 students (lowest) to 246 students (highest), a spread of 141 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.
Garretson School District 49-4 student-counselor ratio is 247:1 — 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.
Garretson School District 49-4 chronic absenteeism rate is 11.4% — 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 Garretson School District 49-4'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 Garretson School District 49-4?
Garretson School District 49-4 has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 460 students.
How much does Garretson School District 49-4 spend per student?
Garretson School District 49-4 spends $10,419 per student. The district has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #99 in South Dakota.
What is the demographic composition of Garretson School District 49-4?
Garretson School District 49-4 students are 88.4% White, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Garretson School District 49-4?
Garretson School District 49-4 has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #99 out of 121 districts in South Dakota.