Enrollment
49
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Union Center, SD
Central Meade County School - 09
Federal NCES profile for Central Meade County School - 09, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 466993000736
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Meade County School - 09 earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 5.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 49
- students enrolled
Central Meade County School - 09 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Meade School District 46-1 · South Dakota
NCES ID 466993000736 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
5.4%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Meade County School - 09 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Meade County School - 09
Central Meade County School - 09 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Union Center, South Dakota, enrolling 49 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 5.4% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the South Dakota average.
Enrollment of 49 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 53 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #22.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 245 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Meade School District 46-1 spends $9,446 per pupil, 30% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 56 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Union Center's elementary schools, it stands alongside Atall Elementary - 17 (12 students): Central Meade County School - 09 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.3:1 vs 12:1).
Meade School District 46-1 also operates Sturgis Brown High School - 01 (845 students) and Sturgis Elementary - 03 (531 students) alongside Central Meade County School - 09.
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 Central Meade County School - 09 compares
Central Meade County School - 09 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 | 12.3:1 | ▼ 10% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 5.4% | ▼ 81% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 49 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
49
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
5.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 40% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$9,446
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
Counselors0.2 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 56 expulsions.
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 89.8%
Two or More 10.2%
Largest group: White at 89.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.3, Central Meade County School - 09 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Meade School District 46-1, which includes Central Meade County School - 09.
$9,446
Per student
-30%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.4%
State 33.5%
Federal 15.1%
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 Central Meade County School - 09 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sturgis Brown High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sturgis Elementary - 03 | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Piedmont Valley Elementary - 05 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sturgis Williams Middle School - 02 | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stagebarn Middle School - 10 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Meade County School - 09's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 845
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 432
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar elementary schools in Union Center
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~49 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Meade County School - 09's federal record.
- Compare Central Meade County School - 09 against another school. Compare schools
- Meade School District 46-1'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 Central Meade County School - 09
How many students attend Central Meade County School - 09?
Central Meade County School - 09 has 49 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Union Center, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Meade County School - 09?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Meade County School - 09 is 12.3:1, which is 10% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 22% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Meade County School - 09?
5.4% of students at Central Meade County School - 09 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Meade County School - 09?
The largest demographic group at Central Meade County School - 09 is White at 89.8% of enrollment, in Union Center, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Meade County School - 09?
Central Meade County School - 09 has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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).
Is Central Meade County School - 09 a good school?
Central Meade County School - 09 earns 54/100 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 Meade School District 46-1?
Besides Central Meade County School - 09, Meade School District 46-1 also operates Sturgis Brown High School - 01 (845 students), Sturgis Elementary - 03 (531 students), and Piedmont Valley Elementary - 05 (514 students). See the Meade School District 46-1 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.