Spearfish School District 40-2 operates 7 public schools serving 2,423 students, placing it among the smaller districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 2 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 2,398 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Lawrence County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,695 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 56.5% local, 31.6% state, and 11.9% 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 $65,212 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 40/100, ranked #77 of 121 in South Dakota against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 338.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 14.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 76.2% White, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% Asian across the district's schools.
Spearfish High School - 01 accounts for 32.8% of all Spearfish School District 40-2 student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Spearfish School District 40-2-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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.
Spearfish School District 40-2 school enrollment varies 394× across entities
Spearfish School District 40-2 school enrollment ranges from 2 students (lowest) to 787 students (highest), a spread of 785 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Spearfish School District 40-2 student-counselor ratio is 339:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Spearfish School District 40-2 is typically wider than the Spearfish School District 40-2-aggregate figure suggests.
Spearfish School District 40-2 chronic absenteeism rate is 14.3% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
How many schools are in Spearfish School District 40-2?
Spearfish School District 40-2 has 7 schools, including 2 high, 4 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 2,423 students.
How much does Spearfish School District 40-2 spend per student?
Spearfish School District 40-2 spends $11,695 per student. The district has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #77 in South Dakota.
What is the average teacher salary in Spearfish School District 40-2?
The average teacher salary in Spearfish School District 40-2 is $65,212 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Spearfish School District 40-2?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Lawrence County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Spearfish School District 40-2?
Spearfish School District 40-2 students are 76.2% White, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% African American, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Spearfish School District 40-2?
Spearfish School District 40-2 has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #77 out of 121 districts in South Dakota. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.