Enrollment
728
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Brandon, SD
Brandon Elementary - 03
Federal NCES profile for Brandon Elementary - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 460795000414
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Brandon Elementary - 03 earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of South Dakota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Dakota.
- #3 of 9
- public schools in Brandon · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 12.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Brandon Elementary - 03 has class sizes larger than 73% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Brandon Elementary - 03 ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Brandon, SD.
School address
District: Brandon Valley School District 49-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 460795000414 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.0%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Brandon Elementary - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Brandon Elementary - 03
Brandon Elementary - 03 is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Brandon, South Dakota, enrolling 728 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 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 12.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Dakota, bigger than 96% of state schools at 728 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 52 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #12.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (7%) (diversity index 39/100).
11.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Brandon Valley School District 49-2 spends $9,822 per pupil, 27% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Brandon Valley School District 49-2 also operates Brandon Valley High School - 01 (1,381 students) and Brandon Valley Intermediate - 07 (829 students) alongside Brandon Elementary - 03.
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 Brandon Elementary - 03 compares
Brandon Elementary - 03 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 14% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.0% | ▼ 58% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 728 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
728
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 73% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$9,822
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 77.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
Two or More 6.9%
African American 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 77.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.5, Brandon Elementary - 03 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Brandon Valley School District 49-2, which includes Brandon Elementary - 03.
$9,822
Per student
-27%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.9%
State 41.0%
Federal 13.1%
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 Brandon Elementary - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Valley High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brandon Valley Intermediate - 07 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brandon Valley Middle School - 02 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert Bennis Elementary - 05 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fred Assam Elementary - 06 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Brandon Elementary - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,381
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 829
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 759
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 542
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other 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 (~728 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Brandon Elementary - 03's federal record.
- Compare Brandon Elementary - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Brandon Valley School District 49-2'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 Brandon Elementary - 03
How many students attend Brandon Elementary - 03?
Brandon Elementary - 03 has 728 students enrolled. It is a public school in Brandon, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Brandon Elementary - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Brandon Elementary - 03 is 15.5:1, which is 14% 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 Brandon Elementary - 03?
12.0% of students at Brandon Elementary - 03 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Brandon Elementary - 03?
The largest demographic group at Brandon Elementary - 03 is White at 77.6% of enrollment, in Brandon, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Brandon Elementary - 03?
Brandon Elementary - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Brandon Elementary - 03 rank among public schools in Brandon?
By Resource Investment Index, Brandon Elementary - 03 ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Brandon, 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 Brandon on the city page.
Is Brandon Elementary - 03 a good school?
Brandon Elementary - 03 earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of South Dakota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Dakota. 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 Brandon Valley School District 49-2?
Besides Brandon Elementary - 03, Brandon Valley School District 49-2 also operates Brandon Valley High School - 01 (1,381 students), Brandon Valley Intermediate - 07 (829 students), and Brandon Valley Middle School - 02 (759 students). See the Brandon Valley School District 49-2 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.