An equity score of 43/100 ranks Howard School District 48-3 #71 of 121 districts in South Dakota (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,128 per pupil, Howard School District 48-3 ranks #58 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
351
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$14,128
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Howard School District 48-3 operates 4 public schools serving 351 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 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 Miner County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,128 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper 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 73.7% local, 12.6% state, and 13.7% 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 43/100, ranked #71 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.
and 9.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.8% White, 2.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Howard Jr. High - 05, with a diversity index of 14.9/100.
Its largest campus is Howard Elementary - 02, enrolling 158 students (44% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Shannon Colony Elementary - 08, at 27 students, a 6x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Howard Elementary - 02 accounts for 44.4% of all Howard School District 48-3 student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Howard School District 48-3-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: elementary. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Howard School District 48-3 school enrollment varies 5.9× across entities
Howard School District 48-3 school enrollment ranges from 27 students (lowest) to 158 students (highest), a spread of 131 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.
Howard School District 48-3 chronic absenteeism rate is 9.2% — 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.
How many schools are in Howard School District 48-3?
Howard School District 48-3 has 4 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 351 students.
How much does Howard School District 48-3 spend per student?
Howard School District 48-3 spends $14,128 per student. The district has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #71 in South Dakota.
What is the demographic composition of Howard School District 48-3?
Howard School District 48-3 students are 95.8% White, 2.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.9% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Howard School District 48-3?
Howard School District 48-3 has an equity score of 43/100, ranking #71 out of 121 districts in South Dakota.