Willow Lake School District 12-3
Public school district · Clark County · South Dakota · NCES district ID 4679350
Willow Lake School District 12-3 spent $11,529 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 81% of the other South Dakota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $13,524). Its 6 schools enrolled 344 students in 2024-25; 27.5% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $11,201 per student, down 2.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 50% or more (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 Willow Lake School District 12-3 in enrollment (308 to 340 students) and Willow Lake School District 12-3 itself.
Where the money came from
$4,533,000 in revenue: 27.5% state, 63.9% local and 8.5% federal. Total spending including $1,643,000 of capital outlay was $5,573,000, or $17,254 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$1,248,000 28%
- Local$2,898,000 64%
- Federal$387,000 9%
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
323 students in 2022-23, 338 students in 2023-24, 344 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 | 323 | 25.4 | 12.7 |
| 2023-24 | 338 | 25.9 | 13.1 |
| 2024-25 | 344 | 23.8 | 14.4 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$1,307,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,046 per student
Willow Lake School District 12-3 booked $1,307,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 25 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 $51,518 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 67 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 | $1,029,000 | 78.7% |
| Special education | $98,000 | 7.5% |
| Vocational | $117,000 | 9.0% |
| Other programs | $63,000 | 4.8% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,992 in 2018-19, $3,761 in 2019-20, $3,884 in 2020-21, $3,889 in 2021-22, $4,046 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 Willow Lake School District 12-3 scored proficient or above: 40-44% in reading and 30-34% 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 | 40-44% | 51% | 155 |
| Math | 30-34% | 42.2% | 155 |
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% or more of the 9 students in Willow Lake School District 12-3'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% or more | 84% |
| Students in the class | 9 | 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.
4 elementary schools, 221 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Lake Elementary - 02 | 153 | 14.2 | 32.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Mayfield Colony Elementary - 04 | 31 | 15.5 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| Shamrock Colony Elementary - 05 | 21 | 10.2 | not reported | Eligible, no program |
| Collins Colony Elementary - 06 | 16 | not reported | not reported | 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.
1 middle school, 54 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Lake Middle School - 03 | 54 | 20.6 | 31.5% | 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.
1 high school, 69 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Lake High School - 01 | 69 | 11.1 | 20.3% | 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 Willow Lake School District 12-3
- Website: willowlake.k12.sd.us
- Phone: (605) 625-5945
- Office: 400 Garfield Ave, Willow Lake, SD 57278
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 Willow Lake School District 12-3
- South Dakota districts by spending per studentWillow Lake School District 12-3 ranks 102 of 125 South Dakota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($11,529).#102 of 125
- Every school district in South DakotaWillow Lake School District 12-3 is the number 84 by size of 150 South Dakota districts, with 323 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#84 of 150
- De Smet School District 38-2The next larger South Dakota district: 327 students in fall 2022, $13,208 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,208
- Haakon School District 27-1The next smaller South Dakota district: 318 students in fall 2022, $12,283 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,283
- Compare Willow Lake School District 12-3 with De Smet School District 38-2Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Willow Lake High School - 01, its largest high school69 students in 2024-25, 11.1 per teacher.69
- Teacher salary spending across South DakotaWillow Lake School District 12-3 spent $51,518 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,840); spending, not a salary.$51,518
- 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 Willow Lake School District 12-3
How many schools and students are in Willow Lake School District 12-3?
6 schools were open in 2024-25 (4 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 344 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Willow Lake School District 12-3 spend per student?
$11,529 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 $11,201 per student, down 2.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Willow Lake School District 12-3's money come from?
$4,533,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 27.5% state, 63.9% local and 8.5% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Willow Lake School District 12-3 live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 29 of the 329 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 8.8%, 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 Willow Lake School District 12-3 spend on teacher salaries?
$1,307,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,046 per student. Divided by the 25 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $51,518 per teacher, more than 67 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 Willow Lake School District 12-3 do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Willow Lake School District 12-3 scored proficient or above: 40-44% in reading and 30-34% 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 Willow Lake School District 12-3?
50% or more of the 9 students in Willow Lake School District 12-3'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 Willow Lake School District 12-3's NCES district ID?
4679350. 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