Enrollment
246
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Garretson, SD
Garretson Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Garretson Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 462637000223
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Garretson Elementary - 02 earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of South Dakota schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Garretson · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.4:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 14.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Garretson Elementary - 02 has class sizes larger than 72% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Garretson Elementary - 02 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Garretson, SD.
School address
District: Garretson School District 49-4 · South Dakota
NCES ID 462637000223 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.4%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Garretson Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Garretson Elementary - 02
Garretson Elementary - 02 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Garretson, South Dakota, enrolling 246 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 14.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 246 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 94 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #20.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 246 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Garretson School District 49-4 spends $10,419 per pupil, 23% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Garretson School District 49-4 also operates Garretson High School - 01 (142 students) and Garretson Middle School - 03 (105 students) alongside Garretson 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 Garretson Elementary - 02 compares
Garretson 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 13% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.4% | ▼ 50% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 246 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
246
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 72% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,419
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 246 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 89.8%
Two or More 4.9%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.0%
Largest group: White at 89.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.0, Garretson Elementary - 02 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garretson School District 49-4, which includes Garretson Elementary - 02.
$10,419
Per student
-23%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.4%
State 37.5%
Federal 9.1%
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 Garretson Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garretson High School - 01 | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Garretson Middle School - 03 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Garretson Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 142
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 105
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
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 (~246 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Garretson Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Garretson Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Garretson School District 49-4'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 Garretson Elementary - 02
How many students attend Garretson Elementary - 02?
Garretson Elementary - 02 has 246 students enrolled. It is a public school in Garretson, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Garretson Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Garretson Elementary - 02 is 15.4:1, which is 13% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Garretson Elementary - 02?
14.4% of students at Garretson Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Garretson Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Garretson Elementary - 02 is White at 89.8% of enrollment, in Garretson, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Garretson Elementary - 02?
Garretson Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Garretson Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Garretson?
By Resource Investment Index, Garretson Elementary - 02 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Garretson, 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 Garretson on the city page.
Is Garretson Elementary - 02 a good school?
Garretson Elementary - 02 earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 Garretson School District 49-4?
Besides Garretson Elementary - 02, Garretson School District 49-4 also operates Garretson High School - 01 (142 students) and Garretson Middle School - 03 (105 students). See the Garretson School District 49-4 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.