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

Rosa Parks Elementary - 15

Federal NCES profile for Rosa Parks Elementary - 15, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 466627001275
0/100100/10044/100
👥 S:T ratio
45
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
0
📋 Attendance
59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools.

#11 of 16
elementary schools in Sioux Falls · Resource Index
44
Resource Index · Typical
13.7:1
students per teacher
37.2%
free-lunch eligible

Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 ranks #11 of 16 elementary schools in Sioux Falls, SD.

Enrollment

618

South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

45.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

13.7:1

vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg

+1% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

37.2%

vs 28.8% South Dakota avg

+29% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians

Slightly above 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 Rosa Parks Elementary - 15

Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 is a large elementary school in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, enrolling 618 students.

At 13.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Dakota median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.

Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 37.2% of students eligible for free meals.

By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Dakota, bigger than 94% of state schools at 618 students.

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

Against 31 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #6.

Its student body is led by White (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).

Counselor access is stretched at roughly 618 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.

16.3% 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 John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 (661 students): Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.7:1 vs 17.4:1).

Sioux Falls School District 49-5 also operates Lincoln High School - 02 (1,954 students) and Jefferson High School - 67 (1,888 students) alongside Rosa Parks Elementary - 15.

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 Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 compares

Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 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 13.7:1 ▲ 1% 13.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 37.2% ▲ 29% 28.8% 51.7%
Enrollment 618 top 6% - -

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

13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
618
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
37.2%
free-lunch eligible - 29% above 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
13.7:1
students per teacher - 1% above state mean
Top 54% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 618 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.9 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 41.9%
Hispanic or Latino 29.8%
African American 12.0%
Two or More 8.3%
Asian 4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.6%

Largest group: White at 41.9% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 71.1/100

Simpson diversity index - at 71.1, Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 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 Rosa Parks Elementary - 15.

$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 Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 Compares to District-Mates

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

Comparisons are relative to Rosa Parks Elementary - 15'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 Rosa Parks Elementary - 15'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 Rosa Parks Elementary - 15

How many students attend Rosa Parks Elementary - 15?

Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 has 618 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sioux Falls, SD.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Rosa Parks Elementary - 15?

The student-teacher ratio at Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 is 13.7:1, which is 1% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rosa Parks Elementary - 15?

37.2% of students at Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rosa Parks Elementary - 15?

The largest demographic group at Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 is White at 41.9% of enrollment, in Sioux Falls, SD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.1/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Rosa Parks Elementary - 15?

Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 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 Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 rank among elementary schools in Sioux Falls?

By Resource Investment Index, Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 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 Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 a good school?

Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median. 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 Sioux Falls School District 49-5?

Besides Rosa Parks Elementary - 15, 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.