Smee School District 15-3

Wakpala, South Dakota — 3 schools

188
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$33,960
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Smee School District 15-3 operates 3 public schools serving 188 students, placing it among the smaller districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 174 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Corson County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $33,960 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 4.2% local, 27.6% state, and 68.3% 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 $121,638 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts.

a 102.5:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 53.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 1.5% White, 0.8% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Wakpala Elementary - 02 accounts for 54.6% of all Smee School District 15-3 student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Smee School District 15-3-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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

Smee School District 15-3 school enrollment varies 2.5× across entities

Smee School District 15-3 school enrollment ranges from 38 students (lowest) to 95 students (highest), a spread of 57 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

Smee School District 15-3 has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 100.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Smee School District 15-3 student-counselor ratio is 103:1 — 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

Smee School District 15-3 chronic absenteeism rate is 53.7% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

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

Where does the funding come from?

68.3%
Federal
27.6%
State
4.2%
Local

Local Rent Costs

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

$641
Studio/mo
$708
1 BR/mo
$929
2 BR/mo
$1,186
3 BR/mo
$1,370
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$121,638
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 Smee School District 15-3.

White 1.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.8%
Multiracial 2.9%
Other 94.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

102.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
53.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Smee School District 15-3

School Enrollment
Wakpala Elementary - 02
95
Wakpala Middle School - 04
41
Wakpala High School - 01
38

Nearby Districts in South Dakota

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Sioux Falls School District 49-5
25,123 students · 43 schools · $12,493/pupil
Compare vs Smee School District 15-3 →
Harrisburg School District 41-2
5,912 students · 10 schools · $16,032/pupil
Compare vs Smee School District 15-3 →
Aberdeen School District 06-1
4,326 students · 10 schools · $11,519/pupil
Compare vs Smee School District 15-3 →

Compare Smee School District 15-3

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Sioux Falls School District 49-5 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Smee School District 15-3?

Smee School District 15-3 has 3 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high. Total enrollment is 188 students.

How much does Smee School District 15-3 spend per student?

Smee School District 15-3 spends $33,960 per student.

What is the average teacher salary in Smee School District 15-3?

The average teacher salary in Smee School District 15-3 is $121,638 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Smee School District 15-3?

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

What is the demographic composition of Smee School District 15-3?

Smee School District 15-3 students are 1.5% White, 0.8% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

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