Lake Preston School District 38-3

Lake Preston, South Dakota — 3 schools

187
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$15,249
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Lake Preston School District 38-3 operates 3 public schools serving 187 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 170 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is geographically located in Kingsbury County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,249 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 70.5% local, 20.8% state, and 8.7% 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 $81,848 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts.

a 56.7:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 24.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.1% White, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Lake Preston Elementary - 02 accounts for 56.5% of all Lake Preston School District 38-3 student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Lake Preston School District 38-3-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.

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

Lake Preston School District 38-3 school enrollment varies 2.9× across entities

Lake Preston School District 38-3 school enrollment ranges from 33 students (lowest) to 96 students (highest), a spread of 63 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

Lake Preston School District 38-3 student-counselor ratio is 57:1 — 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.

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

Lake Preston School District 38-3 chronic absenteeism rate is 24.8% — 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 Lake Preston School District 38-3 is typically wider than the Lake Preston School District 38-3-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

8.7%
Federal
20.8%
State
70.5%
Local

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Kingsbury County county, where this district is located.

$656
Studio/mo
$725
1 BR/mo
$951
2 BR/mo
$1,140
3 BR/mo
$1,472
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$81,848
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Lake Preston School District 38-3.

White 91.1%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
Multiracial 5.4%
Other 0.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

56.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
24.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Lake Preston School District 38-3

School Enrollment
Lake Preston Elementary - 02
96
Lake Preston High School - 01
41
Lake Preston Middle School - 03
33

Nearby Districts in South Dakota

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Lake Preston School District 38-3?

Lake Preston School District 38-3 has 3 schools, including 1 other, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 187 students.

How much does Lake Preston School District 38-3 spend per student?

Lake Preston School District 38-3 spends $15,249 per student.

What is the average teacher salary in Lake Preston School District 38-3?

The average teacher salary in Lake Preston School District 38-3 is $81,848 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Lake Preston School District 38-3?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Kingsbury County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Lake Preston School District 38-3?

Lake Preston School District 38-3 students are 91.1% White, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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Full national footprint

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Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

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Federal

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