Enrollment
982
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Box Elder, SD
Patriot Elementary -06
Federal NCES profile for Patriot Elementary -06, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 461941001384
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 2
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Patriot Elementary -06 earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median. It is also one of the largest schools in South Dakota.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Box Elder · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 23.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Patriot Elementary -06 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Patriot Elementary -06 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Box Elder, SD.
School address
District: Douglas School District 51-1 · South Dakota
NCES ID 461941001384 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
67.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.6%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Patriot Elementary -06 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Patriot Elementary -06
Patriot Elementary -06 is a large elementary school in Box Elder, South Dakota, enrolling 982 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 23.6% 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 98% of state schools at 982 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 691 South Dakota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Against 29 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #19.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 491 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 31.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Box Elder's elementary schools, it stands alongside Vandenberg Elementary - 02 (454 students): Patriot Elementary -06 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.7:1 vs 15.7:1).
Douglas School District 51-1 also operates Douglas High School - 03 (739 students) and Douglas Middle School - 01 (633 students) alongside Patriot Elementary -06.
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 Patriot Elementary -06 compares
Patriot Elementary -06 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 8% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.6% | ▼ 18% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 982 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
982
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 66% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.0%
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
$12,366
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 491 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 63.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
Two or More 12.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.9%
African American 2.5%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 63.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.1, Patriot Elementary -06 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Douglas School District 51-1, which includes Patriot Elementary -06.
$12,366
Per student
-8%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.1%
State 47.1%
Federal 31.8%
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 Patriot Elementary -06 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas High School - 03 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Douglas Middle School - 01 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vandenberg Elementary - 02 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Patriot Elementary -06's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 739
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 633
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar elementary schools in Box Elder
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 (~982 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Patriot Elementary -06's federal record.
- Compare Patriot Elementary -06 against another school. Compare schools
- Douglas School District 51-1'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 Patriot Elementary -06
How many students attend Patriot Elementary -06?
Patriot Elementary -06 has 982 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Box Elder, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Patriot Elementary -06?
The student-teacher ratio at Patriot Elementary -06 is 14.7:1, which is 8% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Patriot Elementary -06?
23.6% of students at Patriot Elementary -06 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Patriot Elementary -06?
The largest demographic group at Patriot Elementary -06 is White at 63.3% of enrollment, in Box Elder, SD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Patriot Elementary -06?
Patriot Elementary -06 has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Patriot Elementary -06 rank among public schools in Box Elder?
By Resource Investment Index, Patriot Elementary -06 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Box Elder, 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 Box Elder on the city page.
Is Patriot Elementary -06 a good school?
Patriot Elementary -06 earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median. 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 Douglas School District 51-1?
Besides Patriot Elementary -06, Douglas School District 51-1 also operates Douglas High School - 03 (739 students), Douglas Middle School - 01 (633 students), and Vandenberg Elementary - 02 (454 students). See the Douglas School District 51-1 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.