Enrollment
278
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Groton, SD
Groton Area Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Groton Area Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 460004501156
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Groton Area Elementary - 02 earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Groton · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 10.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Groton Area Elementary - 02 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Groton Area Elementary - 02 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Groton, SD.
School address
District: Groton Area School District 06-6 · South Dakota
NCES ID 460004501156 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.2%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Groton Area Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Groton Area Elementary - 02
Groton Area Elementary - 02 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Groton, South Dakota, enrolling 278 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 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 10.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 278 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 80 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #22.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 278 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Groton Area School District 06-6 also operates Groton Area High School - 01 (168 students) and Groton Area Middle School - 04 (132 students) alongside Groton Area 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 Groton Area Elementary - 02 compares
Groton Area 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 | 14.6:1 | ▲ 7% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.2% | ▼ 65% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 278 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
278
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 64% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,736
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 278 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 90.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.2, Groton Area Elementary - 02 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Groton Area School District 06-6, which includes Groton Area Elementary - 02.
$11,736
Per student
-13%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 83.4%
State 4.8%
Federal 11.8%
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 Groton Area Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groton Area High School - 01 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Groton Area Middle School - 04 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Groton Area Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 168
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 132
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~278 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Groton Area Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Groton Area Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Groton Area School District 06-6'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 Groton Area Elementary - 02
How many students attend Groton Area Elementary - 02?
Groton Area Elementary - 02 has 278 students enrolled. It is a public school in Groton, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Groton Area Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Groton Area Elementary - 02 is 14.6:1, which is 7% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Groton Area Elementary - 02?
10.2% of students at Groton Area Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Groton Area Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Groton Area Elementary - 02 is White at 90.3% of enrollment, in Groton, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Groton Area Elementary - 02?
Groton Area Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Groton Area Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Groton?
By Resource Investment Index, Groton Area Elementary - 02 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Groton, 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 Groton on the city page.
Is Groton Area Elementary - 02 a good school?
Groton Area Elementary - 02 earns 49/100 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 Groton Area School District 06-6?
Besides Groton Area Elementary - 02, Groton Area School District 06-6 also operates Groton Area High School - 01 (168 students) and Groton Area Middle School - 04 (132 students). See the Groton Area School District 06-6 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.