Harding County School District 31-1 operates 5 public schools serving 224 students, placing it among the smaller districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 243 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Harding County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $19,801 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 66.6% local, 18.4% state, and 15.0% 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 $90,498 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 69/100, ranked #21 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 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 73:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 16.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 97.8% White, 0.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Buffalo Elementary - 02 accounts for 41.6% of all Harding County School District 31-1 student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Harding County School District 31-1-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.
Harding County School District 31-1 school enrollment varies 13× across entities
Harding County School District 31-1 school enrollment ranges from 8 students (lowest) to 101 students (highest), a spread of 93 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Harding County School District 31-1 student-counselor ratio is 73:1 — 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.
Harding County School District 31-1 chronic absenteeism rate is 16.4% — 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 Harding County School District 31-1 is typically wider than the Harding County School District 31-1-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Harding County School District 31-1?
Harding County School District 31-1 has 5 schools, including 3 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 224 students.
How much does Harding County School District 31-1 spend per student?
Harding County School District 31-1 spends $19,801 per student. The district has an equity score of 69/100, ranking #21 in South Dakota.
What is the average teacher salary in Harding County School District 31-1?
The average teacher salary in Harding County School District 31-1 is $90,498 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Harding County School District 31-1?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Harding County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Harding County School District 31-1?
Harding County School District 31-1 students are 97.8% White, 0.3% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Harding County School District 31-1?
Harding County School District 31-1 has an equity score of 69/100, ranking #21 out of 121 districts in South Dakota. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.