Enrollment
155
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ethan, SD
Ethan Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Ethan Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 462250000193
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 69
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ethan Elementary - 02 earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of South Dakota schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Ethan · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.5:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 16.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Ethan Elementary - 02 has class sizes larger than 73% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ethan Elementary - 02 ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Ethan, SD.
School address
District: Ethan School District 17-1 · South Dakota
NCES ID 462250000193 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.4%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ethan Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ethan Elementary - 02
Ethan Elementary - 02 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Ethan, South Dakota, enrolling 155 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 16.4% lands close to the South Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 155 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 141 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #24.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 155 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Ethan School District 17-1 spends $9,749 per pupil, 28% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Ethan's public schools, it stands alongside New Elm Spring Colony Elementary - 08 (21 students): Ethan Elementary - 02 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.5:1 vs 10.5:1).
Ethan School District 17-1 also operates Ethan High School - 01 (93 students) and Ethan Jr. High - 03 (39 students) alongside Ethan 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 Ethan Elementary - 02 compares
Ethan 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 14% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.4% | ▼ 43% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 155 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
155
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 73% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$9,749
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 155 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 90.3%
Two or More 4.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.9%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 90.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.1, Ethan Elementary - 02 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ethan School District 17-1, which includes Ethan Elementary - 02.
$9,749
Per student
-28%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.8%
State 49.6%
Federal 15.7%
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 Ethan Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethan High School - 01 | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ethan Jr. High - 03 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ethan Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 93
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 39
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Ethan
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~155 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ethan Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Ethan Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Ethan School District 17-1'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 Ethan Elementary - 02
How many students attend Ethan Elementary - 02?
Ethan Elementary - 02 has 155 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ethan, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ethan Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Ethan Elementary - 02 is 15.5:1, which is 14% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ethan Elementary - 02?
16.4% of students at Ethan Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ethan Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Ethan Elementary - 02 is White at 90.3% of enrollment, in Ethan, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ethan Elementary - 02?
Ethan Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Ethan Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Ethan?
By Resource Investment Index, Ethan Elementary - 02 ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Ethan, 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 Ethan on the city page.
Is Ethan Elementary - 02 a good school?
Ethan Elementary - 02 earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of South Dakota schools. 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 Ethan School District 17-1?
Besides Ethan Elementary - 02, Ethan School District 17-1 also operates Ethan High School - 01 (93 students) and Ethan Jr. High - 03 (39 students). See the Ethan School District 17-1 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.