Enrollment
140
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Castlewood, SD
Castlewood Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Castlewood Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 461128000113
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 72
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Castlewood Elementary - 02 earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Castlewood · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 7.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Castlewood Elementary - 02 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Castlewood Elementary - 02 ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Castlewood, SD.
School address
District: Castlewood School District 28-1 · South Dakota
NCES ID 461128000113 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.8%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-73% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Castlewood Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Castlewood Elementary - 02
Castlewood Elementary - 02 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Castlewood, South Dakota, enrolling 140 students.
At 14:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Dakota median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.8% free-meal eligibility runs 73% below the South Dakota average.
With 140 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 128 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #39.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 140 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
12.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Castlewood School District 28-1 spends $9,844 per pupil, 27% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 23.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Castlewood School District 28-1 also operates Castlewood High School - 01 (112 students) and Castlewood Middle School - 03 (76 students) alongside Castlewood 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 Castlewood Elementary - 02 compares
Castlewood 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 | 14:1 | ▲ 3% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.8% | ▼ 73% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 140 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
140
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 73% below the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 58% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.9%
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
$9,844
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 140 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 93.6%
Hispanic or Latino 6.4%
Largest group: White at 93.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.0, Castlewood Elementary - 02 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Castlewood School District 28-1, which includes Castlewood Elementary - 02.
$9,844
Per student
-27%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.4%
State 35.8%
Federal 23.7%
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 Castlewood Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castlewood High School - 01 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Castlewood Middle School - 03 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Claremont Colony Elementary - 04 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Castlewood Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 112
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 76
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 17
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
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 (~140 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Castlewood Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Castlewood Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Castlewood School District 28-1'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 Castlewood Elementary - 02
How many students attend Castlewood Elementary - 02?
Castlewood Elementary - 02 has 140 students enrolled. It is a public school in Castlewood, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Castlewood Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Castlewood Elementary - 02 is 14:1, which is 3% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Castlewood Elementary - 02?
7.8% of students at Castlewood Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Castlewood Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Castlewood Elementary - 02 is White at 93.6% of enrollment, in Castlewood, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Castlewood Elementary - 02?
Castlewood Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Castlewood Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Castlewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Castlewood Elementary - 02 ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Castlewood, 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 Castlewood on the city page.
Is Castlewood Elementary - 02 a good school?
Castlewood Elementary - 02 earns 53/100 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 Castlewood School District 28-1?
Besides Castlewood Elementary - 02, Castlewood School District 28-1 also operates Castlewood High School - 01 (112 students), Castlewood Middle School - 03 (76 students), and Claremont Colony Elementary - 04 (17 students). See the Castlewood School District 28-1 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.