Enrollment
186
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 462139000187
Elkton Elementary - 02 — Elkton, SD
Federal NCES profile for Elkton Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
👥 Class size 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 73
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Elkton School District 05-3 · South Dakota
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 13.5:1 South Dakota avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.9%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Elkton Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Elkton Elementary - 02 reports 186 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 16.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% below the South Dakota state mean of 13.5:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 19% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 19.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 31% below the South Dakota average and 62% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 564 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 10.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Elkton School District 05-3 spends $15,370 per pupil district-wide, below the South Dakota average of $16,140 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 75.0% from local sources (property taxes), 12.6% from the state, and 12.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Elkton Elementary - 02 compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against South Dakota state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs South Dakota | South Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.9:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.9% | ▼ 31% | 28.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 186 | top 68% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
19.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 31% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
— 4% below state mean
Top 45% in South Dakota — lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
10.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$15,370
per pupil, district-wide
— below South Dakota avg of $16,140
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Per 564 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 186 Top 68% in South Dakota — larger than 32% of 698 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 16.0
Students per teacher 12.9:1 -4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 19.9% -31% vs state
NCES ID 462139000187
Student demographics
White 78.0%
Hispanic or Latino 18.8%
Two or More 3.2%
Largest group: White at 78.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.3
Students per counselor 564:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 10.8%
In-school suspensions 7
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elkton School District 05-3, which includes Elkton Elementary - 02.
$15,370
Per student
-5%
vs South Dakota
Avg $16,140
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 75.0%
State 12.6%
Federal 12.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 140
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Enrollment
- 65
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Enrollment
- 29
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Enrollment
- 9
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Elkton Elementary - 02
How many students attend Elkton Elementary - 02?
Elkton Elementary - 02 has 186 students enrolled. It is a other school in Elkton, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Elkton Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Elkton Elementary - 02 is 12.9:1, which is 4% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.5:1 and 19% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Elkton Elementary - 02?
19.9% of students at Elkton Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Elkton Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Elkton Elementary - 02 is White at 78.0%. The school serves a student body in Elkton, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Elkton Elementary - 02?
Elkton Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.