Northwestern Area School District
Listed by NCES as Northwestern Area School District 56-7 (district ID 4651750)
Public school district · Spink County · South Dakota · NCES district ID 4651750
Northwestern Area School District spent $12,473 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 65% of the other South Dakota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $13,524). Its 5 schools enrolled 380 students in 2024-25; 22.6% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,471 per student, up 8.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 70-79% (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 Northwestern Area in enrollment (318 to 352 students) and Northwestern Area itself.
Where the money came from
$4,553,000 in revenue: 22.6% state, 68.7% local and 8.8% federal. Total spending including $6,237,000 of capital outlay was $10,621,000, or $31,610 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$1,027,000 23%
- Local$3,126,000 69%
- Federal$400,000 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 rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25
336 students in 2022-23, 352 students in 2023-24, 380 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 | 336 | 24.4 | 13.8 |
| 2023-24 | 352 | 25.9 | 13.6 |
| 2024-25 | 380 | 26.0 | 14.6 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$1,135,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,378 per student
Northwestern Area School District booked $1,135,000 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 $46,459 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 26 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 | $904,000 | 79.6% |
| Special education | $84,000 | 7.4% |
| Vocational | $107,000 | 9.4% |
| Other programs | $40,000 | 3.5% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,521 in 2018-19, $3,309 in 2019-20, $3,227 in 2020-21, $3,278 in 2021-22, $3,378 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 Northwestern Area School District 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% | 150 |
| Math | 50-54% | 42.2% | 150 |
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
70-79% of the 38 students in Northwestern Area School District'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 | 70‑79% | 84% |
| Students in the class | 38 | 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.
2 elementary schools, 151 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Elementary - 04 | 135 | 14.0 | 12.6% | Targeted program |
| Hutterville Colony Elementary - 06 | 16 | 5.5 | not reported | Not reported |
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, 56 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Middle School - 02 | 56 | 12.6 | 10.7% | 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, 173 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern High School - 01 | 91 | 11.9 | 9.9% | Eligible, no program |
| iSucceed - 92 | 82 | 58.6 | 3.7% | 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 Northwestern Area School District
- Website: northwestern.k12.sd.us
- Phone: (605) 887-3467
- Office: 221 3rd St, Mellette, SD 57461
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 Northwestern Area School District
- South Dakota districts by spending per studentNorthwestern Area School District ranks 81 of 125 South Dakota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,473).#81 of 125
- Every school district in South DakotaNorthwestern Area School District is the number 79 by size of 150 South Dakota districts, with 336 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#79 of 150
- Andes Central School District 11-1The next larger South Dakota district: 340 students in fall 2022, $18,724 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$18,724
- Castlewood School District 28-1The next smaller South Dakota district: 334 students in fall 2022, $10,964 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$10,964
- Compare Northwestern Area School District with Andes Central School District 11-1Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Northwestern High School - 01, its largest high school91 students in 2024-25, 11.9 per teacher.91
- Teacher salary spending across South DakotaNorthwestern Area School District spent $46,459 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,840); spending, not a salary.$46,459
- 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 Northwestern Area School District
How many schools and students are in Northwestern Area School District?
5 schools were open in 2024-25 (2 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high), enrolling 380 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Northwestern Area School District spend per student?
$12,473 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 $13,471 per student, up 8.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Northwestern Area School District's money come from?
$4,553,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 22.6% state, 68.7% local and 8.8% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Northwestern Area School District live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 58 of the 265 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 21.9%, 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 Northwestern Area School District spend on teacher salaries?
$1,135,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,378 per student. Divided by the 24 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $46,459 per teacher, more than 26 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 Northwestern Area School District do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Northwestern Area School District 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 Northwestern Area School District?
70-79% of the 38 students in Northwestern Area School District'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 Northwestern Area School District's NCES district ID?
4651750. 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