Wessington Springs School District
Listed by NCES as Wessington Springs School District 36-2 (district ID 4677460)
Public school district · Jerauld County · South Dakota · NCES district ID 4677460
Wessington Springs School District spent $10,820 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 92% of the other South Dakota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $13,524). Its 7 schools enrolled 461 students in 2024-25; 27.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,273 per student, up 13.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 50-59% (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 Wessington Springs in enrollment (404 to 441 students) and Wessington Springs itself.
Where the money came from
$6,519,000 in revenue: 27.3% state, 64.3% local and 8.4% federal. Total spending including $3,399,000 of capital outlay was $8,150,000, or $19,313 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$1,777,000 27%
- Local$4,193,000 64%
- Federal$549,000 8%
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 125 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25
422 students in 2022-23, 429 students in 2023-24, 461 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 | 422 | 29.4 | 14.3 |
| 2023-24 | 429 | 28.0 | 15.3 |
| 2024-25 | 461 | 28.5 | 16.2 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$1,229,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $2,912 per student
Wessington Springs School District booked $1,229,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 29 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 $41,732 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 7 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 | $874,000 | 71.1% |
| Special education | $221,000 | 18.0% |
| Vocational | $84,000 | 6.8% |
| Other programs | $50,000 | 4.1% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,593 in 2018-19, $3,079 in 2019-20, $2,924 in 2020-21, $2,995 in 2021-22, $2,912 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 Wessington Springs School District scored proficient or above: 50-54% in reading and 35-39% 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 | 50-54% | 51% | 186 |
| Math | 35-39% | 42.2% | 185 |
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
50-59% of the 46 students in Wessington Springs School District'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 | 50‑59% | 84% |
| Students in the class | 46 | 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, 166 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wessington Springs Elementary - 02 | 145 | 11.0 | 25.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Spring Valley Colony Elementary - 05 | 16 | 16.0 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| Wessington Springs Elementary Cyber School - 94 | 5 | not reported | 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 middle schools, 63 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 | 41 | 11.8 | 24.4% | Eligible, no program |
| Wessington Springs Middle School Cyber School - 93 | 22 | 95.7 | 13.6% | 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, 232 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wessington Springs High School Cyber School - 92 | 138 | 61.3 | 2.2% | Not Title I |
| Wessington Springs High School - 01 | 94 | 11.3 | 9.6% | Eligible, no 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.
Contact Wessington Springs School District
- Website: wessingtonsprings.k12.sd.us
- Phone: (605) 539-9311
- Office: 302 Dakota Ave N, Wessington Springs, SD 57382
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 Wessington Springs School District
- South Dakota districts by spending per studentWessington Springs School District ranks 115 of 125 South Dakota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($10,820).#115 of 125
- Every school district in South DakotaWessington Springs School District is the number 63 by size of 150 South Dakota districts, with 422 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#63 of 150
- Deubrook Area School District 05-6The next larger South Dakota district: 423 students in fall 2022, $11,567 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,567
- White River School District 47-1The next smaller South Dakota district: 419 students in fall 2022, $17,516 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,516
- Compare Wessington Springs School District with Deubrook Area School District 05-6Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Wessington Springs High School Cyber School - 92, its largest high school138 students in 2024-25, 61.3 per teacher.138
- Teacher salary spending across South DakotaWessington Springs School District spent $41,732 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,840); spending, not a salary.$41,732
- 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 Wessington Springs School District
How many schools and students are in Wessington Springs School District?
7 schools were open in 2024-25 (3 elementary, 2 middle, 2 high), enrolling 461 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Wessington Springs School District spend per student?
$10,820 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 fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $13,524 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,273 per student, up 13.4% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Wessington Springs School District's money come from?
$6,519,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 27.3% state, 64.3% local and 8.4% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Wessington Springs School District live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 42 of the 263 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 16.0%, 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 Wessington Springs School District spend on teacher salaries?
$1,229,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $2,912 per student. Divided by the 29 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $41,732 per teacher, more than 7 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 Wessington Springs School District do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Wessington Springs School District scored proficient or above: 50-54% in reading and 35-39% 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 Wessington Springs School District?
50-59% of the 46 students in Wessington Springs School District'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 Wessington Springs School District's NCES district ID?
4677460. 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