Harrisburg School District 41-2

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.

Harrisburg, South Dakota - 10 schools

An equity score of 31/100 ranks Harrisburg School District 41-2 #94 of 121 districts in South Dakota (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $10,402 per pupil, Harrisburg School District 41-2 ranks #127 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

5,912
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$10,402
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Harrisburg School District 41-2 operates 10 public schools serving 5,912 students, placing it among the smaller districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 3 combined, 2 middle, 1 high schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Lincoln County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,402 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 58.8% local, 31.7% state, and 9.5% 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 #94 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 10 schools offering Advanced Placement (15 AP courses district-wide), a 432.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 9.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 79.3% White, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 4.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Explorer Elementary - 04, with a diversity index of 53.8/100.

Its largest campus is Harrisburg High School - 01, enrolling 1,806 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Explorer Elementary - 04, at 338 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Harrisburg High School - 01 accounts for 30.5% of all Harrisburg School District 41-2 student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Harrisburg School District 41-2-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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Harrisburg School District 41-2 school enrollment varies 5.3× across entities

Harrisburg School District 41-2 school enrollment ranges from 338 students (lowest) to 1,806 students (highest), a spread of 1,468 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Harrisburg School District 41-2 student-counselor ratio is 432:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Harrisburg School District 41-2 chronic absenteeism rate is 9.4% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

9.5%
Federal
31.7%
State
58.8%
Local

Funding Equity

31
Equity Score
94 / 121
State Rank
51
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 10 schools in Harrisburg School District 41-2.

White 79.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
African American 4.6%
Asian 2.2%
Multiracial 6.0%
Other 2.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 35.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Harrisburg School District 41-2's schools, above the South Dakota average of 27.6.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Explorer Elementary - 04 53.8
  2. 2 Horizon Elementary - 09 49.1
  3. 3 Harrisburg North Middle School - 08 37.9
  4. 4 Endeavor Elementary - 07 37.8
  5. 5 Journey Elementary - 05 36.1

Programs & Resources

1 / 10
Schools with AP
15 AP courses total
432.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
9.4%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Harrisburg School District 41-2

School Enrollment
Harrisburg High School - 01
1,806
Liberty Elementary - 02
559
Harrisburg North Middle School - 08
534
Harrisburg South Middle School - 03
519
Horizon Elementary - 09
458
Freedom Elementary - 06
442
Adventure Elementary - 10
440
Endeavor Elementary - 07
358
Journey Elementary - 05
340
Explorer Elementary - 04
338

How Harrisburg School District 41-2 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The South Dakota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Brandon Valley School District 49-2 Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Aberdeen School District 06-1 Smaller Similar spending Less locally funded
Watertown School District 14-4 Smaller Similar spending Similar funding mix
Brookings School District 05-1 Smaller Similar spending Similar funding mix
Meade School District 46-1 Smaller Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Harrisburg School District 41-2'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.

Compare Harrisburg School District 41-2

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Sioux Falls School District 49-5 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Harrisburg School District 41-2?

Harrisburg School District 41-2 has 10 schools, including 1 high, 3 combined, 2 middle, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 5,912 students.

How much does Harrisburg School District 41-2 spend per student?

Harrisburg School District 41-2 spends $10,402 per student. The district has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #94 in South Dakota.

What is the demographic composition of Harrisburg School District 41-2?

Harrisburg School District 41-2 students are 79.3% White, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 4.6% African American, 2.2% Asian, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Harrisburg School District 41-2?

Harrisburg School District 41-2 has an equity score of 31/100, ranking #94 out of 121 districts in South Dakota.