Tri-Valley School District 49-6

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Colton, South Dakota - 3 schools

An equity score of 41/100 ranks Tri-Valley School District 49-6 #74 of 121 districts in South Dakota (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,057 per pupil, Tri-Valley School District 49-6 ranks #110 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

945
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$11,057
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Tri-Valley School District 49-6 operates 3 public schools serving 945 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. 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 $11,057 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 58.9% local, 29.6% state, and 11.5% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 41/100, ranked #74 of 121 in South Dakota against a state average of 51, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 446.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 13.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 86.3% White, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 4.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03, with a diversity index of 34.6/100.

Its largest campus is Tri-Valley High School - 01, enrolling 297 students (40% of the district's total enrollment).

Tri-Valley High School - 01 accounts for 31.4% of all Tri-Valley School District 49-6 student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Tri-Valley School District 49-6-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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Tri-Valley School District 49-6 student-counselor ratio is 447:1 — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Tri-Valley School District 49-6 chronic absenteeism rate is 13.9% — 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

11.5%
Federal
29.6%
State
58.9%
Local

Funding Equity

41
Equity Score
74 / 121
State Rank
51
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Tri-Valley School District 49-6.

White 86.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%
African American 4.2%
Multiracial 2.8%
Other 0.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 24.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Tri-Valley School District 49-6's schools, below the South Dakota average of 27.6.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 34.6
  2. 2 Tri-Valley High School - 01 21.0
  3. 3 Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 18.1

Programs & Resources

446.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
13.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Tri-Valley School District 49-6

School Enrollment
Tri-Valley High School - 01
297
Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03
296
Tri-Valley Elementary - 02
154

How Tri-Valley School District 49-6 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The South Dakota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Sisseton School District 54-2 Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Custer School District 16-1 Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Dell Rapids School District 49-3 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Wagner Community School District 11-4 Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Canton School District 41-1 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Tri-Valley School District 49-6'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.

Compare Tri-Valley School District 49-6

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 Tri-Valley School District 49-6?

Tri-Valley School District 49-6 has 3 schools, including 1 high, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 945 students.

How much does Tri-Valley School District 49-6 spend per student?

Tri-Valley School District 49-6 spends $11,057 per student. The district has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #74 in South Dakota.

What is the demographic composition of Tri-Valley School District 49-6?

Tri-Valley School District 49-6 students are 86.3% White, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 4.2% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Tri-Valley School District 49-6?

Tri-Valley School District 49-6 has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #74 out of 121 districts in South Dakota.