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Sioux Falls, South Dakota - 42 schools
An equity score of 47/100 ranks Sioux Falls School District 49-5 #60 of 121 districts in South Dakota (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $10,788 per pupil, Sioux Falls School District 49-5 ranks #118 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
25,123
Total Enrollment
42
Schools
$10,788
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 operates 42 public schools serving 25,123 students, placing it in the mid-size range in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 19 combined, 11 elementary, 7 middle, 5 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Minnehaha County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $10,788 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower 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 48.1% local, 33.1% state, and 18.9% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 47/100, ranked #60 of 121 in South Dakota against a state average of 51, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 4 of 42 schools offering Advanced Placement (66 AP courses district-wide), a 373.7:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 22.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 54.5% White, 16.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Terry Redlin Elementary - 11, with a diversity index of 80.6/100.
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 school enrollment varies 977× across entities
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 school enrollment ranges from 2 students (lowest) to 1,954 students (highest), a spread of 1,952 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 student-counselor ratio is 374:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 chronic absenteeism rate is 22.0% — 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 Sioux Falls School District 49-5 is typically wider than the Sioux Falls School District 49-5-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Sioux Falls School District 49-5's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in South Dakota
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in Sioux Falls School District 49-5?
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 has 42 schools, including 5 high, 7 middle, 19 combined, 11 elementary. Total enrollment is 25,123 students.
How much does Sioux Falls School District 49-5 spend per student?
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 spends $10,788 per student. The district has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #60 in South Dakota.
What is the demographic composition of Sioux Falls School District 49-5?
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 students are 54.5% White, 16.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% African American, 2.2% Asian, averaged across 42 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Sioux Falls School District 49-5?
Sioux Falls School District 49-5 has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #60 out of 121 districts in South Dakota.