Enrollment
152
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Arlington, SD
Arlington Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Arlington Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 460372000021
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 95
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Arlington Elementary - 02 earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of South Dakota schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Arlington · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 11.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Arlington Elementary - 02 has class sizes larger than 70% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Arlington Elementary - 02 ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Arlington, SD.
School address
District: Arlington School District 38-1 · South Dakota
NCES ID 460372000021 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.6%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Arlington Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Arlington Elementary - 02
Arlington Elementary - 02 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Arlington, South Dakota, enrolling 152 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 11.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 152 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 132 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #98, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 461 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Arlington's elementary schools, it stands alongside Spring Lake Colony Elementary - 04 (22 students): Arlington Elementary - 02 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.2:1 vs 11:1).
Arlington School District 38-1 also operates Arlington High School - 01 (76 students) and Arlington Jr. High - 03 (47 students) alongside Arlington Elementary - 02.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Arlington Elementary - 02 compares
Arlington Elementary - 02 on the metrics families compare, against South Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Dakota | South Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.2:1 | ▲ 12% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.6% | ▼ 60% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 152 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
152
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% below the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 70% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
2.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$13,023
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Dakota avg of $13,477
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 91.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
Two or More 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 91.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.2, Arlington Elementary - 02 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Arlington School District 38-1, which includes Arlington Elementary - 02.
$13,023
Per student
-3%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.5%
State 20.1%
Federal 11.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Arlington Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington High School - 01 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Arlington Jr. High - 03 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Arlington Preschool - 04 | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Arlington Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 76
- Students per teacher
- 9.5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 47
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 17
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary schools in Arlington
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~152 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Arlington Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Arlington Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Arlington School District 38-1's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Arlington Elementary - 02
How many students attend Arlington Elementary - 02?
Arlington Elementary - 02 has 152 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Arlington, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Arlington Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Arlington Elementary - 02 is 15.2:1, which is 12% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Arlington Elementary - 02?
11.6% of students at Arlington Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Arlington Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Arlington Elementary - 02 is White at 91.4% of enrollment, in Arlington, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Arlington Elementary - 02?
Arlington Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Arlington Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Arlington?
By Resource Investment Index, Arlington Elementary - 02 ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Arlington, SD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Arlington on the city page.
Is Arlington Elementary - 02 a good school?
Arlington Elementary - 02 earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of South Dakota schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Arlington School District 38-1?
Besides Arlington Elementary - 02, Arlington School District 38-1 also operates Arlington High School - 01 (76 students), Arlington Jr. High - 03 (47 students), and Arlington Preschool - 04 (17 students). See the Arlington School District 38-1 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.