Enrollment
212
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Clark, SD
Clark Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Clark Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 461294000132
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clark Elementary - 02 earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Clark · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 21.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Clark Elementary - 02 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clark Elementary - 02 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Clark, SD.
School address
District: Clark School District 12-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 461294000132 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.4%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clark Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clark Elementary - 02
Clark Elementary - 02 is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Clark, South Dakota, enrolling 212 students.
At 14.1:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 21.4% lands close to the South Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 212 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 100 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #16.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 212 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Clark School District 12-2 also operates Clark High School - 01 (124 students) and Clark Middle School - 03 (72 students) alongside Clark 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 Clark Elementary - 02 compares
Clark 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 | 14.1:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.4% | ▼ 26% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 212 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
212
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 59% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
4.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$11,435
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 212 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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.
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 84.9%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
Two or More 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 84.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.8, Clark Elementary - 02 is about as mixed as the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clark School District 12-2, which includes Clark Elementary - 02.
$11,435
Per student
-15%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.0%
State 24.9%
Federal 11.0%
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 Clark Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark High School - 01 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clark Middle School - 03 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fordham Colony Elementary - 04 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest Colony Elementary - 05 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Silver Lake Colony - 07 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clark Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 124
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 72
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 42
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 31
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 16
- Students per teacher
- 5.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~212 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clark Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Clark Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Clark School District 12-2'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 Clark Elementary - 02
How many students attend Clark Elementary - 02?
Clark Elementary - 02 has 212 students enrolled. It is a public school in Clark, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clark Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Clark Elementary - 02 is 14.1:1, which is 4% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Clark Elementary - 02?
21.4% of students at Clark Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Clark Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Clark Elementary - 02 is White at 84.9% of enrollment, in Clark, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clark Elementary - 02?
Clark Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Clark Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Clark?
By Resource Investment Index, Clark Elementary - 02 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Clark, 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 Clark on the city page.
Is Clark Elementary - 02 a good school?
Clark Elementary - 02 earns 55/100 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 Clark School District 12-2?
Besides Clark Elementary - 02, Clark School District 12-2 also operates Clark High School - 01 (124 students), Clark Middle School - 03 (72 students), and Fordham Colony Elementary - 04 (42 students). See the Clark School District 12-2 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.