Enrollment
306
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hot Springs, SD
Hot Springs Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Hot Springs Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 463448000287
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hot Springs Elementary - 02 earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Hot Springs · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.2:1
- students per teacher
- 21.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Hot Springs Elementary - 02 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hot Springs Elementary - 02 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Hot Springs, SD.
School address
District: Hot Springs School District 23-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 463448000287 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.1%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hot Springs Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hot Springs Elementary - 02
Hot Springs Elementary - 02 is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hot Springs, South Dakota, enrolling 306 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 21.1% lands close to the South Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 306 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 93 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #46.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (10%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 230 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Hot Springs School District 23-2 spends $9,971 per pupil, 26% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 24.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hot Springs School District 23-2 also operates Hot Springs High School - 01 (215 students) and Hot Springs Middle School - 06 (189 students) alongside Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs Elementary - 02 compares
Hot Springs 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 10% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.1% | ▼ 27% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 306 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
306
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 39% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
24.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$9,971
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 230 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 70.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 9.8%
Two or More 9.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
Asian 1.6%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 70.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.0, Hot Springs Elementary - 02 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hot Springs School District 23-2, which includes Hot Springs Elementary - 02.
$9,971
Per student
-26%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.7%
State 24.2%
Federal 24.0%
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 Hot Springs Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs High School - 01 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hot Springs Middle School - 06 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hot Springs Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 215
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 189
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~306 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hot Springs Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Hot Springs Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Hot Springs School District 23-2'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 Hot Springs Elementary - 02
How many students attend Hot Springs Elementary - 02?
Hot Springs Elementary - 02 has 306 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hot Springs, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hot Springs Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Hot Springs Elementary - 02 is 12.2:1, which is 10% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 22% 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 Hot Springs Elementary - 02?
21.1% of students at Hot Springs Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hot Springs Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Hot Springs Elementary - 02 is White at 70.3% of enrollment, in Hot Springs, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hot Springs Elementary - 02?
Hot Springs Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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 Hot Springs Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Hot Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Hot Springs Elementary - 02 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Hot Springs, 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 Hot Springs on the city page.
Is Hot Springs Elementary - 02 a good school?
Hot Springs Elementary - 02 earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Hot Springs School District 23-2?
Besides Hot Springs Elementary - 02, Hot Springs School District 23-2 also operates Hot Springs High School - 01 (215 students) and Hot Springs Middle School - 06 (189 students). See the Hot Springs School District 23-2 district page for the complete list.
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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.