Leola School District 44-2
Public school district · McPherson County · South Dakota · NCES district ID 4641640
Leola School District 44-2 spent $17,371 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 84% of the other South Dakota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $13,524). Its 7 schools enrolled 205 students in 2024-25; 24.5% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $17,833 per student, up 2.7% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 50% or more (South Dakota: 84%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among South Dakota districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Leola School District 44-2 in enrollment (195 to 224 students) and Leola School District 44-2 itself.
Where the money came from
$4,200,000 in revenue: 24.5% state, 66.4% local and 9.1% federal. Total spending including $104,000 of capital outlay was $3,916,000, or $18,648 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$1,028,000 24%
- Local$2,789,000 66%
- Federal$383,000 9%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 125 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
210 students in 2022-23, 210 students in 2023-24, 205 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 210 | 24.3 | 8.6 |
| 2023-24 | 210 | 21.7 | 9.7 |
| 2024-25 | 205 | 24.2 | 8.5 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$1,089,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,186 per student
Leola School District 44-2 booked $1,089,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 24 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $44,796 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 14 in 100 South Dakota districts with a figure (state median $49,840, 141 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average South Dakota teacher salary at $49,761 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $925,000 | 84.9% |
| Special education | $107,000 | 9.8% |
| Vocational | $57,000 | 5.2% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $5,320 in 2018-19, $4,346 in 2019-20, $4,830 in 2020-21, $4,649 in 2021-22, $5,186 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Leola School District 44-2 scored proficient or above: 55-59% in reading and 50-54% in math, against 51% in reading and 42.2% in math across South Dakota. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within South Dakota, not across states.
| Subject | This district | South Dakota | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 55-59% | 51% | 118 |
| Math | 50-54% | 42.2% | 118 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
50% or more of the 11 students in Leola School District 44-2's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84% across South Dakota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | South Dakota | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 50% or more | 84% |
| Students in the class | 11 | 9,963 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
4 elementary schools, 134 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leola Elementary - 02 | 57 | 7.4 | 21.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Spring Creek Colony Elementary - 04 | 35 | 15.2 | 3.1% | Eligible, no program |
| Long Lake Colony Elementary - 05 | 30 | 13.0 | 3.3% | Eligible, no program |
| Grassland Colony Elementary - 06 | 12 | 6.3 | 18.8% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 22 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leola Jr. High - 03 | 22 | 5.6 | 27.3% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 high schools, 49 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leola High School - 01 | 38 | 7.1 | 28.9% | Eligible, no program |
| Leola Alternative School - 07 | 11 | 15.3 | 0.0% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Leola School District 44-2
- Website: leola.k12.sd.us
- Phone: (605) 439-3477
- Office: 820 Leola Ave, Leola, SD 57456
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Leola School District 44-2
- South Dakota districts by spending per studentLeola School District 44-2 ranks 21 of 125 South Dakota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($17,371).#21 of 125
- Every school district in South DakotaLeola School District 44-2 is the number 120 by size of 150 South Dakota districts, with 210 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#120 of 150
- Gettysburg School DistrictThe next larger South Dakota district: 211 students in fall 2022, $15,194 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,194
- Marion School District 60-3The next smaller South Dakota district: 199 students in fall 2022, $16,648 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,648
- Compare Leola School District 44-2 with Gettysburg School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Leola High School - 01, its largest high school38 students in 2024-25, 7.1 per teacher.38
- Teacher salary spending across South DakotaLeola School District 44-2 spent $44,796 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,840); spending, not a salary.$44,796
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Leola School District 44-2
How many schools and students are in Leola School District 44-2?
7 schools were open in 2024-25 (4 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high), enrolling 205 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Leola School District 44-2 spend per student?
$17,371 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the South Dakota median for districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $13,524 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $17,833 per student, up 2.7% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Leola School District 44-2's money come from?
$4,200,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 24.5% state, 66.4% local and 9.1% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Leola School District 44-2 live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 43 of the 228 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 18.9%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Leola School District 44-2 spend on teacher salaries?
$1,089,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,186 per student. Divided by the 24 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $44,796 per teacher, more than 14 in 100 South Dakota districts (state median $49,840). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average South Dakota teacher salary at $49,761 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Leola School District 44-2 do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Leola School District 44-2 scored proficient or above: 55-59% in reading and 50-54% in math, against 51% in reading and 42.2% in math across South Dakota. South Dakota's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Leola School District 44-2?
50% or more of the 11 students in Leola School District 44-2's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84% across South Dakota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Leola School District 44-2's NCES district ID?
4641640. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25