Enrollment
133
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Highmore, SD
Highmore Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Highmore Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 468044000323
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 73
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highmore Elementary - 02 earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Highmore · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- students per teacher
- 25.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Highmore Elementary - 02 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highmore Elementary - 02 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Highmore, SD.
School address
District: Highmore-Harrold 34-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 468044000323 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.4%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highmore Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highmore Elementary - 02
Highmore Elementary - 02 is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Highmore, South Dakota, enrolling 133 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 25.4% lands close to the South Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 133 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 119 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #16.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (17%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 133 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 20.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Highmore-Harrold 34-2 also operates Highmore High School - 01 (62 students) and Highmore Jr. High - 03 (34 students) alongside Highmore 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 Highmore Elementary - 02 compares
Highmore 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 | 12.1:1 | ▼ 11% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.4% | ▼ 12% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 133 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
133
Bigger than 13% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 38% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
7.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,967
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 133 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 78.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 17.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
Largest group: White at 78.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.6, Highmore Elementary - 02 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highmore-Harrold 34-2, which includes Highmore Elementary - 02.
$12,967
Per student
-4%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 65.9%
State 13.9%
Federal 20.2%
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 Highmore Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highmore High School - 01 | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Highmore Jr. High - 03 | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highmore Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 62
- Students per teacher
- 7.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 34
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~133 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highmore Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Highmore Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Highmore-Harrold 34-2'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 Highmore Elementary - 02
How many students attend Highmore Elementary - 02?
Highmore Elementary - 02 has 133 students enrolled. It is a public school in Highmore, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highmore Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Highmore Elementary - 02 is 12.1:1, which is 11% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 23% 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 Highmore Elementary - 02?
25.4% of students at Highmore Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highmore Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Highmore Elementary - 02 is White at 78.9% of enrollment, in Highmore, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highmore Elementary - 02?
Highmore Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 Highmore Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Highmore?
By Resource Investment Index, Highmore Elementary - 02 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Highmore, 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 Highmore on the city page.
Is Highmore Elementary - 02 a good school?
Highmore Elementary - 02 earns 59/100 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 Highmore-Harrold 34-2?
Besides Highmore Elementary - 02, Highmore-Harrold 34-2 also operates Highmore High School - 01 (62 students) and Highmore Jr. High - 03 (34 students). See the Highmore-Harrold 34-2 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.