Hill City School District 51-2 operates 3 public schools serving 493 students, placing it among the smaller districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 other, 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 520 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Pennington County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,618 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 76.4% local, 2.0% state, and 21.6% 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 $66,215 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 26/100, ranked #107 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 113:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 14.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 70.4% White, 18.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% Asian across the district's schools.
Hill City Elementary - 02 accounts for 47.5% of all Hill City School District 51-2 student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Hill City School District 51-2-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. 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.
Hill City School District 51-2 school enrollment varies 2.1× across entities
Hill City School District 51-2 school enrollment ranges from 115 students (lowest) to 247 students (highest), a spread of 132 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.
Hill City School District 51-2 student-counselor ratio is 113:1 — 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.
Hill City School District 51-2 chronic absenteeism rate is 14.6% — 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 Hill City School District 51-2?
Hill City School District 51-2 has 3 schools, including 1 other, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 493 students.
How much does Hill City School District 51-2 spend per student?
Hill City School District 51-2 spends $12,618 per student. The district has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #107 in South Dakota.
What is the average teacher salary in Hill City School District 51-2?
The average teacher salary in Hill City School District 51-2 is $66,215 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Hill City School District 51-2?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Pennington County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Hill City School District 51-2?
Hill City School District 51-2 students are 70.4% White, 18.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Hill City School District 51-2?
Hill City School District 51-2 has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #107 out of 121 districts in South Dakota. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.