Enrollment
158
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hill City, SD
Hill City High School - 01
Federal NCES profile for Hill City High School - 01, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 463336000280
👥 S:T ratio 47
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hill City High School - 01 earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Hill City · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 14.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Hill City High School - 01 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hill City High School - 01 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Hill City, SD.
School address
District: Hill City School District 51-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 463336000280 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.5%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hill City High School - 01 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hill City High School - 01
Hill City High School - 01 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized high school in Hill City, South Dakota, enrolling 158 students.
At 13.2:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 14.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 158 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 132 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 45/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 158 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
13.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 21.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hill City School District 51-2 also operates Hill City Elementary - 02 (247 students) and Hill City Middle School - 04 (115 students) alongside Hill City High School - 01.
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 Hill City High School - 01 compares
Hill City High School - 01 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 3% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.5% | ▼ 50% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 158 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
158
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.5%
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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 48% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,550
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 158 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.6 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 71.5%
Hispanic or Latino 17.7%
Two or More 6.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.5%
Asian 1.9%
Largest group: White at 71.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.2, Hill City High School - 01 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hill City School District 51-2, which includes Hill City High School - 01.
$11,550
Per student
-14%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 76.4%
State 2.0%
Federal 21.6%
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 Hill City High School - 01 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hill City Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hill City Middle School - 04 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hill City High School - 01's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 247
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 115
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar high 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 (~158 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hill City High School - 01's federal record.
- Compare Hill City High School - 01 against another school. Compare schools
- Hill City School District 51-2'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 Hill City High School - 01
How many students attend Hill City High School - 01?
Hill City High School - 01 has 158 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hill City, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hill City High School - 01?
The student-teacher ratio at Hill City High School - 01 is 13.2:1, which is 3% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 16% 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 Hill City High School - 01?
14.5% of students at Hill City High School - 01 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hill City High School - 01?
The largest demographic group at Hill City High School - 01 is White at 71.5% of enrollment, in Hill City, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hill City High School - 01?
Hill City High School - 01 has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hill City High School - 01 rank among public schools in Hill City?
By Resource Investment Index, Hill City High School - 01 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Hill City, 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 Hill City on the city page.
Is Hill City High School - 01 a good school?
Hill City High School - 01 earns 43/100 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 Hill City School District 51-2?
Besides Hill City High School - 01, Hill City School District 51-2 also operates Hill City Elementary - 02 (247 students) and Hill City Middle School - 04 (115 students). See the Hill City School District 51-2 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.