White Lake School District 01-3

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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

White Lake, South Dakota - 3 schools

At $15,643 per pupil, White Lake School District 01-3 ranks #38 of 149 South Dakota districts by per-pupil spending (South Dakota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

129
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$15,643
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

White Lake School District 01-3 operates 3 public schools serving 129 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle 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 Aurora County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,643 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 59.9% local, 25.4% state, and 14.8% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers.

a 230:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 26.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 93.1% White, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is White Lake Middle School - 03, with a diversity index of 18.4/100.

Its largest campus is White Lake Elementary - 02, enrolling 62 students (50% of the district's total enrollment).

White Lake Elementary - 02 accounts for 48.1% of all White Lake School District 01-3 student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of White Lake School District 01-3 a distant remainder — means White Lake School District 01-3-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

White Lake School District 01-3 school enrollment varies 2.1× across entities

White Lake School District 01-3 school enrollment ranges from 30 students (lowest) to 62 students (highest), a spread of 32 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

White Lake School District 01-3 student-counselor ratio is 230:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

White Lake School District 01-3 chronic absenteeism rate is 26.3% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

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 Variation between sub-units within White Lake School District 01-3 is typically wider than the White Lake School District 01-3-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

14.8%
Federal
25.4%
State
59.9%
Local

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in White Lake School District 01-3.

White 93.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
African American 1.0%
Other 2.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 12.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across White Lake School District 01-3's schools, below the South Dakota average of 27.6.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 White Lake Middle School - 03 18.4
  2. 2 White Lake High School - 01 16.9
  3. 3 White Lake Elementary - 02 3.1

Programs & Resources

230:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
26.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in White Lake School District 01-3

School Enrollment
White Lake Elementary - 02
62
White Lake High School - 01
33
White Lake Middle School - 03
30

How White Lake School District 01-3 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

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

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Bison School District 52-1 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Mcintosh School District 15-1 Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Edmunds Central School District 22-5 Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Hoven School District 53-2 Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Bowdle School District 22-1 Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to White Lake School District 01-3'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.

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare White Lake School District 01-3

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 White Lake School District 01-3?

White Lake School District 01-3 has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 129 students.

How much does White Lake School District 01-3 spend per student?

White Lake School District 01-3 spends $15,643 per student.

What is the demographic composition of White Lake School District 01-3?

White Lake School District 01-3 students are 93.1% White, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.