Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sioux Falls, SD

John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57

Federal NCES profile for John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 466627000976
0/100100/10044/100
👥 S:T ratio
30
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
0
📋 Attendance
75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of South Dakota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Dakota.

#11 of 16
elementary schools in Sioux Falls · Resource Index
44
Resource Index · Typical
17.4:1
large classes for South Dakota
19.2%
free-lunch eligible

John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 has class sizes larger than 87% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 ranks #11 of 16 elementary schools in Sioux Falls, SD.

Enrollment

661

South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

38.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

17.4:1

vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg

+28% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

19.2%

vs 28.8% South Dakota avg

-33% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians

Larger classes than state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57

John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, enrolling 661 students.

Class loads run heavy: 17.4:1 is larger than about 87% of South Dakota schools and 28% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.

Its free-meal eligibility rate of 19.2% lands close to the South Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.

By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Dakota, bigger than 95% of state schools at 661 students.

Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.

Against 69 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #23.

Its student body is led by White (73%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 45/100).

Counselor access is stretched at roughly 661 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.

10.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.

The surrounding Sioux Falls School District 49-5 spends $10,788 per pupil, 20% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.

Its district draws 18.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.

Among Sioux Falls's elementary schools, it stands alongside Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 (618 students): John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.4:1 vs 13.7:1).

Sioux Falls School District 49-5 also operates Lincoln High School - 02 (1,954 students) and Jefferson High School - 67 (1,888 students) alongside John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57.

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 John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 compares

John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 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 17.4:1 ▲ 28% 13.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 19.2% ▼ 33% 28.8% 51.7%
Enrollment 661 top 5% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
661
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
19.2%
free-lunch eligible - 33% 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
17.4:1
students per teacher - 28% above state mean
Top 87% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
10.1%
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
$10,788
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 661 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 72.8%
Two or More 9.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
African American 6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.6%
Asian 1.5%

Largest group: White at 72.8% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 45.1/100

Simpson diversity index - at 45.1, John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sioux Falls School District 49-5, which includes John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57.

$10,788
Per student
-20%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.1%
State 33.1%
Federal 18.9%

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 John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Lincoln High School - 02 Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Jefferson High School - 67 Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Washington High School - 01 Larger Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio
Roosevelt High School - 03 Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Memorial Middle School - 04 Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Sioux Falls School District 49-5 · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Sioux Falls

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57's federal record.

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 John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57

How many students attend John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57?

John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 has 661 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sioux Falls, SD.

What is the student-teacher ratio at John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57?

The student-teacher ratio at John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 is 17.4:1, which is 28% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57?

19.2% of students at John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57?

The largest demographic group at John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 is White at 72.8% of enrollment, in Sioux Falls, SD.

What is the Resource Investment Index for John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57?

John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 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 John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 rank among elementary schools in Sioux Falls?

By Resource Investment Index, John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 ranks #11 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 John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 a good school?

John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of South Dakota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Dakota. 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 Sioux Falls School District 49-5?

Besides John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57, Sioux Falls School District 49-5 also operates Lincoln High School - 02 (1,954 students), Jefferson High School - 67 (1,888 students), and Washington High School - 01 (1,819 students). See the Sioux Falls School District 49-5 district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.