Enrollment
346
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rapid City, SD
Canyon Lake Elementary - 04
Federal NCES profile for Canyon Lake Elementary - 04, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 465982000540
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #4 of 6
- schools in Rapid City · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- students per teacher
- 33.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 ranks #4 of 6 schools in Rapid City, SD.
School address
District: Rapid City Area School District 51-4 · South Dakota
NCES ID 465982000540 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.5%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Canyon Lake Elementary - 04
Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Rapid City, South Dakota, enrolling 346 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.4:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 33.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 346 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 53 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #43, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Rapid City's public schools, it stands alongside Rapid Valley Elementary - 12 (486 students): Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.4:1 vs 15.7:1).
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 also operates Central High School - 41 (1,998 students) and Stevens High School - 42 (1,771 students) alongside Canyon Lake Elementary - 04.
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 Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 compares
Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 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 | 14.4:1 | ▲ 6% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.5% | ▲ 16% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 346 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
346
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% above 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
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 63% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.5%
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
$11,191
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
3
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rapid City Area School District 51-4, which includes Canyon Lake Elementary - 04.
$11,191
Per student
-17%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.3%
State 26.7%
Federal 18.9%
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 Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School - 41 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stevens High School - 42 | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Middle School - 36 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southwest Middle School - 38 | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Middle School - 30 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Canyon Lake Elementary - 04's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,998
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 1,771
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 618
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar other schools in Rapid City
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Rapid Valley Elementary - 12
Standard public school
486 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
General Beadle Elementary - 01
Standard public school
483 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Robbinsdale Elementary - 14
Standard public school
328 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Building - 64
Special-education school
98 students 5.2:1 students per teacher
Wellfully - 65
Alternative education program
7 students 7:1 students per teacher
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 (~346 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Canyon Lake Elementary - 04's federal record.
- Compare Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 against another school. Compare schools
- Rapid City Area School District 51-4'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 Canyon Lake Elementary - 04
How many students attend Canyon Lake Elementary - 04?
Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 has 346 students enrolled. It is a public school in Rapid City, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Canyon Lake Elementary - 04?
The student-teacher ratio at Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 is 14.4:1, which is 6% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Canyon Lake Elementary - 04?
33.5% of students at Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Canyon Lake Elementary - 04?
Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 rank among schools in Rapid City?
By Resource Investment Index, Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 ranks #4 of 6 schools in Rapid City, SD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Rapid City on the city page.
Is Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 a good school?
Canyon Lake Elementary - 04 earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median. 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 Rapid City Area School District 51-4?
Besides Canyon Lake Elementary - 04, Rapid City Area School District 51-4 also operates Central High School - 41 (1,998 students), Stevens High School - 42 (1,771 students), and South Middle School - 36 (618 students). See the Rapid City Area School District 51-4 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.