Enrollment
389
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Belle Fourche, SD
Belle Fourche High School - 01
Federal NCES profile for Belle Fourche High School - 01, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 460561000038
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Belle Fourche High School - 01 earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of South Dakota schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Belle Fourche · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.6:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 15.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Belle Fourche High School - 01 has class sizes larger than 74% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Belle Fourche High School - 01 ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Belle Fourche, SD.
School address
District: Belle Fourche School District 09-1 · South Dakota
NCES ID 460561000038 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.7%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Belle Fourche High School - 01 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Belle Fourche High School - 01
Belle Fourche High School - 01 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized high school in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, enrolling 389 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 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 15.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 389 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 95 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #86, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 389 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Belle Fourche School District 09-1 spends $10,486 per pupil, 22% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 20.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Belle Fourche's high schools, it stands alongside Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 (57 students): Belle Fourche High School - 01 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 19:1).
Belle Fourche School District 09-1 also operates Belle Fourche Middle School - 07 (414 students) and South Park Elementary - 03 (347 students) alongside Belle Fourche High School - 01.
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 Belle Fourche High School - 01 compares
Belle Fourche High School - 01 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 15% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.7% | ▼ 45% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 389 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
389
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 74% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,486
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 389 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.3 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 86.4%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Two or More 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 86.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.5, Belle Fourche High School - 01 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Belle Fourche School District 09-1, which includes Belle Fourche High School - 01.
$10,486
Per student
-22%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 41.5%
Federal 20.0%
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 Belle Fourche High School - 01 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Fourche Middle School - 07 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Park Elementary - 03 | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Park Elementary - 08 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Belle Fourche High School - 01's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 414
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 347
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 89
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 57
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar high schools in Belle Fourche
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~389 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Belle Fourche High School - 01's federal record.
- Compare Belle Fourche High School - 01 against another school. Compare schools
- Belle Fourche School District 09-1'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 Belle Fourche High School - 01
How many students attend Belle Fourche High School - 01?
Belle Fourche High School - 01 has 389 students enrolled. It is a high school in Belle Fourche, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Belle Fourche High School - 01?
The student-teacher ratio at Belle Fourche High School - 01 is 15.6:1, which is 15% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Belle Fourche High School - 01?
15.7% of students at Belle Fourche High School - 01 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Belle Fourche High School - 01?
The largest demographic group at Belle Fourche High School - 01 is White at 86.4% of enrollment, in Belle Fourche, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Belle Fourche High School - 01?
Belle Fourche High School - 01 has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Belle Fourche High School - 01 rank among public schools in Belle Fourche?
By Resource Investment Index, Belle Fourche High School - 01 ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Belle Fourche, 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 Belle Fourche on the city page.
Is Belle Fourche High School - 01 a good school?
Belle Fourche High School - 01 earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Belle Fourche School District 09-1?
Besides Belle Fourche High School - 01, Belle Fourche School District 09-1 also operates Belle Fourche Middle School - 07 (414 students), South Park Elementary - 03 (347 students), and North Park Elementary - 08 (89 students). See the Belle Fourche School District 09-1 district page for the complete list.
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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.