Enrollment
158
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Howard, SD
Howard Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Howard Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 460002500304
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howard Elementary - 02 earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of South Dakota schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Howard · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 10.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Howard Elementary - 02 has class sizes larger than 76% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howard Elementary - 02 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Howard, SD.
School address
District: Howard School District 48-3 · South Dakota
NCES ID 460002500304 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.9%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howard Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howard Elementary - 02
Howard Elementary - 02 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Howard, South Dakota, enrolling 158 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.8:1 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 10.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 158 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 126 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #66.
Its student body is predominantly White (96% of enrollment) (diversity index 9/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Howard School District 48-3 also operates Howard High School - 01 (96 students) and Howard Jr. High - 05 (75 students) alongside Howard 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 Howard Elementary - 02 compares
Howard 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 | 15.8:1 | ▲ 16% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.9% | ▼ 62% | 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
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% 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
10.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 76% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,336
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Dakota avg of $13,477
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 95.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.9%
African American 1.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%
Largest group: White at 95.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.5, Howard Elementary - 02 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Howard School District 48-3, which includes Howard Elementary - 02.
$13,336
Per student
-1%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 73.7%
State 12.6%
Federal 13.7%
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 Howard Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard High School - 01 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Howard Jr. High - 05 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shannon Colony Elementary - 08 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Howard Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 96
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 75
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 27
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar elementary 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 (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howard Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Howard Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Howard School District 48-3'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 Howard Elementary - 02
How many students attend Howard Elementary - 02?
Howard Elementary - 02 has 158 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Howard, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Howard Elementary - 02 is 15.8:1, which is 16% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Howard Elementary - 02?
10.9% of students at Howard Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howard Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Howard Elementary - 02 is White at 95.6% of enrollment, in Howard, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howard Elementary - 02?
Howard Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Howard Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Howard?
By Resource Investment Index, Howard Elementary - 02 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Howard, 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 Howard on the city page.
Is Howard Elementary - 02 a good school?
Howard Elementary - 02 earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Howard School District 48-3?
Besides Howard Elementary - 02, Howard School District 48-3 also operates Howard High School - 01 (96 students), Howard Jr. High - 05 (75 students), and Shannon Colony Elementary - 08 (27 students). See the Howard School District 48-3 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.