Enrollment
149
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Estelline, SD
Estelline Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Estelline Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 462241000191
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Estelline Elementary - 02 earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Estelline · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 18.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Estelline Elementary - 02 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Estelline Elementary - 02 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Estelline, SD.
School address
District: Estelline School District 28-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 462241000191 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.0%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Estelline Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Estelline Elementary - 02
Estelline Elementary - 02 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Estelline, South Dakota, enrolling 149 students.
At 13.5:1, 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 18.0% lands close to the South Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 149 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 142 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #74.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 324 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Estelline School District 28-2 also operates Estelline High School - 01 (83 students) and Estelline Middle School - 03 (60 students) alongside Estelline 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 Estelline Elementary - 02 compares
Estelline 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 1% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.0% | ▼ 38% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 149 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
149
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 52% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,448
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Dakota avg of $13,477
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 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.
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 75.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.8%
Two or More 3.4%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 75.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.0, Estelline Elementary - 02 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Estelline School District 28-2, which includes Estelline Elementary - 02.
$13,448
Per student
0%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.4%
State 18.2%
Federal 19.4%
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.
How Estelline Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estelline High School - 01 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Estelline Middle School - 03 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Estelline Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 83
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 60
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 (~149 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Estelline Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Estelline Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Estelline School District 28-2'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 Estelline Elementary - 02
How many students attend Estelline Elementary - 02?
Estelline Elementary - 02 has 149 students enrolled. It is a public school in Estelline, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Estelline Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Estelline Elementary - 02 is 13.5:1, which is 1% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 14% 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 Estelline Elementary - 02?
18.0% of students at Estelline Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Estelline Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Estelline Elementary - 02 is White at 75.2% of enrollment, in Estelline, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Estelline Elementary - 02?
Estelline Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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 Estelline Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Estelline?
By Resource Investment Index, Estelline Elementary - 02 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Estelline, 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 Estelline on the city page.
Is Estelline Elementary - 02 a good school?
Estelline Elementary - 02 earns 48/100 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 Estelline School District 28-2?
Besides Estelline Elementary - 02, Estelline School District 28-2 also operates Estelline High School - 01 (83 students) and Estelline Middle School - 03 (60 students). See the Estelline School District 28-2 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.