Wagner Community School District 11-4

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.

Wagner, South Dakota - 4 schools

An equity score of 87/100 ranks Wagner Community School District 11-4 #10 of 121 districts in South Dakota (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,978 per pupil, Wagner Community School District 11-4 ranks #37 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

905
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$14,978
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Wagner Community School District 11-4 operates 4 public schools serving 905 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 combined 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 Charles Mix County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,978 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper 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 11.4% local, 24.5% state, and 64.1% federal, an unusually federal-heavy mix, typically a marker of concentrated Title I eligibility or a small district reliant on federal impact-aid programs. The district's equity score is 87/100, ranked #10 of 121 in South Dakota against a state average of 51, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 591.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 32.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 31.3% White, 1.8% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Wagner High School - 01, with a diversity index of 62.7/100.

Its largest campus is Wagner Elementary - 02, enrolling 333 students (36% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Early Learning Center - 04, at 102 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Wagner Elementary - 02 accounts for 36.2% of all Wagner Community School District 11-4 student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Wagner Community School District 11-4-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

Wagner Community School District 11-4 school enrollment varies 3.3× across entities

Wagner Community School District 11-4 school enrollment ranges from 102 students (lowest) to 333 students (highest), a spread of 231 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

Wagner Community School District 11-4 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). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding 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

Wagner Community School District 11-4 student-counselor ratio is 592:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

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

Wagner Community School District 11-4 chronic absenteeism rate is 32.0% — 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?

64.1%
Federal
24.5%
State
11.4%
Local

Funding Equity

87
Equity Score
10 / 121
State Rank
51
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Wagner Community School District 11-4.

White 31.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%
Multiracial 11.5%
Other 55.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 57.7/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Wagner Community School District 11-4's schools, above the South Dakota average of 27.6.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Wagner High School - 01 62.7
  2. 2 Early Learning Center - 04 57.7
  3. 3 Wagner Elementary - 02 56.2
  4. 4 Wagner Middle School - 03 54.3

Programs & Resources

591.9:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
32.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Wagner Community School District 11-4

School Enrollment
Wagner Elementary - 02
333
Wagner Middle School - 03
283
Wagner High School - 01
201
Early Learning Center - 04
102

How Wagner Community School District 11-4 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Custer School District 16-1 Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Canton School District 41-1 Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Hamlin School District 28-3 Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Tri-Valley School District 49-6 Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Chamberlain School District 07-1 Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Wagner Community School District 11-4'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 Wagner Community School District 11-4

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 Wagner Community School District 11-4?

Wagner Community School District 11-4 has 4 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 905 students.

How much does Wagner Community School District 11-4 spend per student?

Wagner Community School District 11-4 spends $14,978 per student. The district has an equity score of 87/100, ranking #10 in South Dakota.

What is the demographic composition of Wagner Community School District 11-4?

Wagner Community School District 11-4 students are 31.3% White, 1.8% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Wagner Community School District 11-4?

Wagner Community School District 11-4 has an equity score of 87/100, ranking #10 out of 121 districts in South Dakota.