Sioux Falls School District

Listed by NCES as Sioux Falls School District 49-5 (district ID 4666270)

Public school district · Minnehaha County · South Dakota · NCES district ID 4666270

Sioux Falls School District spent $11,456 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 74% of the other South Dakota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $10,886). Its 42 schools enrolled 24,994 students in 2024-25; 34.9% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,316 per student, up 7.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 85% (South Dakota: 84%).

Spending per student among South Dakota's largest districts

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Sioux Falls ranks 3.

Current spending per student, largest South Dakota districts, FY23Huron School District 02-2 $12,082; Brookings School District 05-1 $11,811; Sioux Falls $11,456; Harrisburg $11,031; Yankton School District 63-3 $10,904; Aberdeen School District 06-1 $10,673; Watertown $10,402; Rapid City Area Schools $10,377; Brandon Valley School District 49-2 $10,306; Meade School District 46-1 $9,885; State median, 1,000+ students $10,886.8k10k12k14kHuron School District 02-2$12,082Brookings School District 05-1$11,811Sioux Falls$11,456Harrisburg$11,031Yankton School District 63-3$10,904Aberdeen School District 06-1$10,673Watertown$10,402Rapid City Area Schools$10,377Brandon Valley School District…$10,306Meade School District 46-1$9,885State median, 1,000+ students $10,886
Current spending per student, largest South Dakota districts, FY23Huron School District 02-2 $12,082; Brookings School District 05-1 $11,811; Sioux Falls $11,456; Harrisburg $11,031; Yankton School District 63-3 $10,904; Aberdeen School District 06-1 $10,673; Watertown $10,402; Rapid City Area Schools $10,377; Brandon Valley School District 49-2 $10,306; Meade School District 46-1 $9,885; State median, 1,000+ students $10,886.8k10k12k14kHuron School District 02-2$12,082Brookings School District 05-1$11,811Sioux Falls$11,456Harrisburg$11,031Yankton School District 63-3$10,904Aberdeen School District 06-1$10,673Watertown$10,402Rapid City Area Schools$10,377Brandon Valley School District 49-2$10,306Meade School District 46-1$9,885State median, 1,000+ students $10,886
Current spending per student, largest South Dakota districts, FY23Huron School District 02-2 $12,082; Brookings School District 05-1 $11,811; Sioux Falls $11,456; Harrisburg $11,031; Yankton School District 63-3 $10,904; Aberdeen School District 06-1 $10,673; Watertown $10,402; Rapid City Area Schools $10,377; Brandon Valley School District 49-2 $10,306; Meade School District 46-1 $9,885; State median, 1,000+ students $10,886.8k10k12k14kHuron School District 02-2$12,082Brookings School District 05-1$11,811Sioux Falls$11,456Harrisburg$11,031Yankton School District 63-3$10,904Aberdeen School District 06-1$10,673Watertown$10,402Rapid City Area Schools$10,377Brandon Valley School District 49-2$10,306Meade School District 46-1$9,885State median, 1,000+ students $10,886
Current spending per student, largest South Dakota districts, FY23Huron School District 02-2 $12,082; Brookings School District 05-1 $11,811; Sioux Falls $11,456; Harrisburg $11,031; Yankton School District 63-3 $10,904; Aberdeen School District 06-1 $10,673; Watertown $10,402; Rapid City Area Schools $10,377; Brandon Valley School District 49-2 $10,306; Meade School District 46-1 $9,885; State median, 1,000+ students $10,886.8k10k12k14kHuron School District 02-2$12,082Brookings School District 05-1$11,811Sioux Falls$11,456Harrisburg$11,031Yankton School District 63-3$10,904Aberdeen School District 06-1$10,673Watertown$10,402Rapid City Area Schools$10,377Brandon Valley School District 49-2$10,306Meade School District 46-1$9,885State median, 1,000+ students $10,886

Where the money came from

$344,469,000 in revenue: 34.9% state, 52.0% local and 13.1% federal. Total spending including $33,158,000 of capital outlay was $332,594,000, or $13,239 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Sioux Falls School District revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $120,354,000; Local $178,993,000; Federal $45,122,000; total $344,469,000.
  • State$120,354,000 35%
  • Local$178,993,000 52%
  • Federal$45,122,000 13%

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 24 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25

25,122 students in 2022-23, 25,159 students in 2023-24, 24,994 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Sioux Falls School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 25,122, 2023-24: 25,159, 2024-25: 24,994010k20k30k2022-2325,1222023-2425,1592024-2524,994
Sioux Falls School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 25,122, 2023-24: 25,159, 2024-25: 24,994010k20k30k2022-2325,1222023-2425,1592024-2524,994
Sioux Falls School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 25,122, 2023-24: 25,159, 2024-25: 24,994010k20k30k2022-2325,1222023-2425,1592024-2524,994
Sioux Falls School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 25,122, 2023-24: 25,159, 2024-25: 24,994010k20k30k2022-2325,1222023-2425,1592024-2524,994

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2325,1221658.315.1
2023-2425,1591659.115.2
2024-2524,9941657.615.1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$91,166,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,629 per student

Sioux Falls School District booked $91,166,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 1,684 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 $54,143 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 85 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).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$74,004,00081.2%
Special education$12,131,00013.3%
Vocational$2,961,0003.2%
Other programs$2,070,0002.3%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,240 in 2018-19, $3,273 in 2019-20, $3,284 in 2020-21, $3,468 in 2021-22, $3,629 in 2022-23.

Sioux Falls School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,240, 2019-20: $3,273, 2020-21: $3,284, 2021-22: $3,468, 2022-23: $3,62901k2k3k4k2018-19$3,2402019-20$3,2732020-21$3,2842021-22$3,4682022-23$3,629
Sioux Falls School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,240, 2019-20: $3,273, 2020-21: $3,284, 2021-22: $3,468, 2022-23: $3,62901k2k3k4k2018-19$3,2402019-20$3,2732020-21$3,2842021-22$3,4682022-23$3,629
Sioux Falls School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,240, 2019-20: $3,273, 2020-21: $3,284, 2021-22: $3,468, 2022-23: $3,62901k2k3k4k2018-19$3,2402019-20$3,2732020-21$3,2842021-22$3,4682022-23$3,629
Sioux Falls School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,240, 2019-20: $3,273, 2020-21: $3,284, 2021-22: $3,468, 2022-23: $3,62901k2k3k4k2018-19$3,2402019-20$3,2732020-21$3,2842021-22$3,4682022-23$3,629

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 Sioux Falls School District scored proficient or above: 48% in reading and 40% 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.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtSouth DakotaStudents tested
Reading and language arts48%51%12,560
Math40%42.2%12,559

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

85% of the 1,768 students in Sioux Falls 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.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtSouth Dakota
Four-year graduation rate85%84%
Students in the class1,7689,963

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.

25 elementary schools, 12,054 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Discovery Elementary - 2687317.315.6%Not Title I
RF Pettigrew Elementary - 1784617.426.0%Not Title I
Hayward Elementary - 3872814.267.6%Schoolwide program
Sonia Sotomayor Elementary - 6569018.18.6%Not Title I
Harvey Dunn Elementary - 5468118.036.4%Not Title I
John Harris Elementary - 2366617.812.9%Not Title I
John F. Kennedy Elementary - 5766115.424.2%Not Title I
Anne Sullivan Elementary - 2063214.062.3%Schoolwide program
Rosa Parks Elementary - 1561815.740.8%Eligible, no program
Oscar Howe Elementary - 5860817.239.6%Not Title I
Garfield Elementary - 1957414.273.0%Schoolwide program
Susan B. Anthony Elementary - 6647215.051.3%Not Title I
The other 13 elementary schools
SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Cleveland Elementary - 1446513.470.8%Schoolwide program
Laura Wilder Elementary - 3144714.851.9%Eligible, no program
Robert Frost Elementary - 1844716.930.0%Not Title I
Eugene Field A+ Elementary - 1644416.328.8%Eligible, no program
Hawthorne Elementary - 5644312.9100.0%Schoolwide program
Lowell Elementary - 2842614.372.5%Schoolwide program
Terry Redlin Elementary - 1141210.970.6%Schoolwide program
Laura B. Anderson Elementary - 1029111.368.0%Schoolwide program
Challenge Center - 5116514.99.1%Not Title I
Renberg Elementary - 4215515.341.3%Eligible, no program
All City Elementary - 5014917.412.8%Not Title I
Elementary Immersion Center - 4310613.4100.0%Schoolwide program
Bridges At Horace Mann - 52553.4100.0%Schoolwide 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.

7 middle schools, 5,366 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Memorial Middle School - 041,13316.721.4%Not Title I
Edison Middle School - 0693715.534.8%Eligible, no program
Patrick Henry Middle School - 0792515.824.5%Not Title I
Ben Reifel Middle School - 6888514.331.5%Not Title I
George McGovern Middle School -0978013.158.8%Eligible, no program
Whittier Middle School - 0867512.568.3%Eligible, no program
Axtell Park Middle School - 47312.7100.0%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.

7 high schools, 7,541 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Lincoln High School - 021,95416.526.4%Eligible, no program
Jefferson High School - 671,88816.235.9%Eligible, no program
Washington High School - 011,81915.238.9%Eligible, no program
Roosevelt High School - 031,78516.929.6%Not Title I
Community Campus - 41777.723.4%Not Title I
Structured Teaching - 12163.668.8%Not Title I
Avera Adolescent Addiction Care Program - 8121.0not reportedNot reported

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.

3 other schools, 33 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Summit Oaks-Residential - 48206.55.0%Not Title I
Avera Behavioral Health Program - 8292.223.8%Not reported
ARISE Shelter Care - 7142.955.6%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 more schools on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory

These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.

Avera Behavioral Health Program - 82

School in Sioux Falls; open in 2024-25; 9 students; 2.2 students per teacher.

Avera Adolescent Addiction Care Program - 81

High school in Sioux Falls; open in 2024-25; 2 students; 1.0 students per teacher.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.

Contact Sioux Falls School District

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 Sioux Falls School District

  1. South Dakota districts by spending per studentSioux Falls School District ranks 7 of 24 South Dakota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($11,456).#7 of 24
  2. Every school district in South DakotaSioux Falls School District is the largest of 150 South Dakota districts, with 25,123 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#1 of 150
  3. Rapid City Area SchoolsThe next smaller South Dakota district: 12,747 students in fall 2022, $10,377 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$10,377
  4. Compare Sioux Falls School District with Rapid City Area SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  5. Lincoln High School - 02, its largest high school1,954 students in 2024-25, 16.5 per teacher.1,954
  6. Teacher salary spending across South DakotaSioux Falls School District spent $54,143 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,840); spending, not a salary.$54,143
  7. 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 Sioux Falls School District

  1. How many schools and students are in Sioux Falls School District?
    42 schools were open in 2024-25 (25 elementary, 7 middle, 7 high, 3 other), enrolling 24,994 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Sioux Falls School District spend per student?
    $11,456 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 at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $10,886 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,316 per student, up 7.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Sioux Falls School District's money come from?
    $344,469,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 34.9% state, 52.0% local and 13.1% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Sioux Falls School District live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 2,462 of the 29,745 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 8.3%, 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.
  5. How much does Sioux Falls School District spend on teacher salaries?
    $91,166,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,629 per student. Divided by the 1,684 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $54,143 per teacher, more than 85 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).
  6. How do students in Sioux Falls School District do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Sioux Falls School District scored proficient or above: 48% in reading and 40% 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.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Sioux Falls School District?
    85% of the 1,768 students in Sioux Falls 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.
  8. What is Sioux Falls School District's NCES district ID?
    4666270. 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