Spearfish School District 40-2
Public school district · Lawrence County · South Dakota · NCES district ID 4666930
Spearfish School District 40-2 spent $9,680 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, the least of the 24 South Dakota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $10,886). Its 7 schools enrolled 2,398 students in 2024-25; 29.0% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $10,621 per student, up 9.7% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90-94% (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 Spearfish School District 40-2 in enrollment (1,797 to 3,058 students) and Spearfish School District 40-2 itself.
Where the money came from
$31,653,000 in revenue: 29.0% state, 58.2% local and 12.8% federal. Total spending including $11,110,000 of capital outlay was $35,321,000, or $14,577 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$9,183,000 29%
- Local$18,423,000 58%
- Federal$4,047,000 13%
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 24 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
2,438 students in 2022-23, 2,402 students in 2023-24, 2,398 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 | 2,438 | 174.6 | 14.0 |
| 2023-24 | 2,402 | 173.8 | 13.8 |
| 2024-25 | 2,398 | 169.4 | 14.2 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$9,202,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,798 per student
Spearfish School District 40-2 booked $9,202,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 175 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 $52,706 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 76 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 | $7,404,000 | 80.5% |
| Special education | $1,127,000 | 12.2% |
| Vocational | $318,000 | 3.5% |
| Other programs | $353,000 | 3.8% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,360 in 2018-19, $3,366 in 2019-20, $3,571 in 2020-21, $3,660 in 2021-22, $3,798 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 Spearfish School District 40-2 scored proficient or above: 55% in reading and 49% 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% | 51% | 1,281 |
| Math | 49% | 42.2% | 1,281 |
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
90-94% of the 174 students in Spearfish School District 40-2'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 | 90‑94% | 84% |
| Students in the class | 174 | 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.
3 elementary schools, 1,043 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creekside Elementary - 07 | 553 | 15.5 | 18.3% | Schoolwide program |
| West Elementary - 03 | 322 | 10.5 | 12.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Mountain View Elementary - 08 | 168 | 11.8 | 17.9% | Schoolwide 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 middle schools, 547 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spearfish Middle School - 05 | 545 | 14.9 | 13.8% | Eligible, no program |
| Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 09 | 2 | 0.8 | not reported | 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.
2 high schools, 808 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spearfish High School - 01 | 787 | 16.9 | 11.7% | Eligible, no program |
| Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 10 | 21 | 6.8 | 14.3% | 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 Spearfish School District 40-2
- Website: spearfish.k12.sd.us
- Phone: (605) 717-1229
- Office: 525 E Illinois St, Spearfish, SD 57783
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 Spearfish School District 40-2
- South Dakota districts by spending per studentSpearfish School District 40-2 ranks 24 of 24 South Dakota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($9,680).#24 of 24
- Every school district in South DakotaSpearfish School District 40-2 is the number 14 by size of 150 South Dakota districts, with 2,423 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#14 of 150
- Mitchell School District 17-2The next larger South Dakota district: 2,722 students in fall 2022, $10,795 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$10,795
- Tea Area School DistrictThe next smaller South Dakota district: 2,361 students in fall 2022, $9,842 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$9,842
- Compare Spearfish School District 40-2 with Mitchell School District 17-2Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Spearfish High School - 01, its largest high school787 students in 2024-25, 16.9 per teacher.787
- Teacher salary spending across South DakotaSpearfish School District 40-2 spent $52,706 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,840); spending, not a salary.$52,706
- 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 Spearfish School District 40-2
How many schools and students are in Spearfish School District 40-2?
7 schools were open in 2024-25 (3 elementary, 2 middle, 2 high), enrolling 2,398 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Spearfish School District 40-2 spend per student?
$9,680 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 at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $10,886 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $10,621 per student, up 9.7% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Spearfish School District 40-2's money come from?
$31,653,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 29.0% state, 58.2% local and 12.8% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Spearfish School District 40-2 live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 176 of the 2,381 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 7.4%, 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 Spearfish School District 40-2 spend on teacher salaries?
$9,202,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,798 per student. Divided by the 175 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $52,706 per teacher, more than 76 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 Spearfish School District 40-2 do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Spearfish School District 40-2 scored proficient or above: 55% in reading and 49% 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 Spearfish School District 40-2?
90-94% of the 174 students in Spearfish School District 40-2'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 Spearfish School District 40-2's NCES district ID?
4666930. 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