Enrollment
345
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sioux Falls, SD
Inspiration Elementary - 08
Federal NCES profile for Inspiration Elementary - 08, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 460795001416
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Inspiration Elementary - 08 earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of South Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools.
- #13 of 16
- elementary schools in Sioux Falls · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.2:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 9.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Inspiration Elementary - 08 has class sizes larger than 93% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Inspiration Elementary - 08 ranks #13 of 16 elementary schools in Sioux Falls, SD.
School address
District: Brandon Valley School District 49-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 460795001416 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.8%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Inspiration Elementary - 08 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Inspiration Elementary - 08
Inspiration Elementary - 08 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, enrolling 345 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.2:1 is larger than about 93% of South Dakota schools and 41% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 9.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 345 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 76 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #44.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and African American (11%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 50/100).
10.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Brandon Valley School District 49-2 spends $9,822 per pupil, 27% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Sioux Falls's elementary schools, it stands alongside John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 (661 students): Inspiration Elementary - 08 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.2:1 vs 17.4:1).
Brandon Valley School District 49-2 also operates Brandon Valley High School - 01 (1,381 students) and Brandon Valley Intermediate - 07 (829 students) alongside Inspiration Elementary - 08.
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 Inspiration Elementary - 08 compares
Inspiration Elementary - 08 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 | 19.2:1 | ▲ 41% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.8% | ▼ 66% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 345 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
345
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% 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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 41% above state mean
Top 93% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
10.4%
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
$9,822
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
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 68.7%
African American 11.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Asian 5.5%
Two or More 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.3%
Largest group: White at 68.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.3, Inspiration Elementary - 08 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Brandon Valley School District 49-2, which includes Inspiration Elementary - 08.
$9,822
Per student
-27%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.9%
State 41.0%
Federal 13.1%
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 Inspiration Elementary - 08 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Valley High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brandon Valley Intermediate - 07 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brandon Valley Middle School - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brandon Elementary - 03 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Robert Bennis Elementary - 05 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Inspiration Elementary - 08's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,381
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 829
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 759
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 728
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 542
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar elementary schools in Sioux Falls
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57
Standard public school
661 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Rosa Parks Elementary - 15
Standard public school
618 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Oscar Howe Elementary - 58
Standard public school
608 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Fred Assam Elementary - 06
Standard public school
531 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Laura Wilder Elementary - 31
Standard public school
447 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Eugene Field a+ Elementary - 16
Standard public school
444 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~345 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Inspiration Elementary - 08's federal record.
- Compare Inspiration Elementary - 08 against another school. Compare schools
- Brandon Valley School District 49-2'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 Inspiration Elementary - 08
How many students attend Inspiration Elementary - 08?
Inspiration Elementary - 08 has 345 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sioux Falls, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Inspiration Elementary - 08?
The student-teacher ratio at Inspiration Elementary - 08 is 19.2:1, which is 41% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Inspiration Elementary - 08?
9.8% of students at Inspiration Elementary - 08 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Inspiration Elementary - 08?
The largest demographic group at Inspiration Elementary - 08 is White at 68.7% of enrollment, in Sioux Falls, SD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Inspiration Elementary - 08?
Inspiration Elementary - 08 has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Inspiration Elementary - 08 rank among elementary schools in Sioux Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Inspiration Elementary - 08 ranks #13 of 16 elementary schools in Sioux Falls, SD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Sioux Falls on the city page.
Is Inspiration Elementary - 08 a good school?
Inspiration Elementary - 08 earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of South Dakota schools. 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 Brandon Valley School District 49-2?
Besides Inspiration Elementary - 08, Brandon Valley School District 49-2 also operates Brandon Valley High School - 01 (1,381 students), Brandon Valley Intermediate - 07 (829 students), and Brandon Valley Middle School - 02 (759 students). See the Brandon Valley School District 49-2 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.