Enrollment
74
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Murdo, SD
Jones County Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Jones County Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 461958000358
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 70
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jones County Elementary - 02 earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of South Dakota schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Murdo · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.6:1
- small classes for South Dakota
- 46.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Jones County Elementary - 02 has class sizes smaller than 75% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jones County Elementary - 02 ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Murdo, SD.
School address
District: Jones County School District 37-3 · South Dakota
NCES ID 461958000358 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.8%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jones County Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jones County Elementary - 02
Jones County Elementary - 02 is a mid-sized elementary school in Murdo, South Dakota, enrolling 74 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 46.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 74 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 19 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #14.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Two or More (16%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 148 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Murdo's elementary schools, it stands alongside Jones County Middle School - 04 (57 students): Jones County Elementary - 02 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.6:1 vs 14.3:1).
Jones County School District 37-3 also operates Jones County Middle School - 04 (57 students) and Jones County High School - 01 (49 students) alongside Jones County 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 Jones County Elementary - 02 compares
Jones County 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 | 10.6:1 | ▼ 22% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.8% | ▲ 62% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 74 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.6:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
74
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% above the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.6:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 25% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.7%
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
$15,273
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors0.5 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 78.4%
Two or More 16.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%
Largest group: White at 78.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.7, Jones County Elementary - 02 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jones County School District 37-3, which includes Jones County Elementary - 02.
$15,273
Per student
+13%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.4%
State 25.2%
Federal 24.3%
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 Jones County Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jones County Middle School - 04 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jones County High School - 01 | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jones County Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 57
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 49
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Murdo
1 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.
Similar enrollment (~74 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jones County Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Jones County Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Jones County School District 37-3'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 Jones County Elementary - 02
How many students attend Jones County Elementary - 02?
Jones County Elementary - 02 has 74 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Murdo, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jones County Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Jones County Elementary - 02 is 10.6:1, which is 22% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 32% 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 Jones County Elementary - 02?
46.8% of students at Jones County Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jones County Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Jones County Elementary - 02 is White at 78.4% of enrollment, in Murdo, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jones County Elementary - 02?
Jones County Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Jones County Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Murdo?
By Resource Investment Index, Jones County Elementary - 02 ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Murdo, 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 Murdo on the city page.
Is Jones County Elementary - 02 a good school?
Jones County Elementary - 02 earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Jones County School District 37-3?
Besides Jones County Elementary - 02, Jones County School District 37-3 also operates Jones County Middle School - 04 (57 students) and Jones County High School - 01 (49 students). See the Jones County School District 37-3 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.