Enrollment
274
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 465982000527
South Canyon Elementary - 15 — Rapid City, SD
Federal NCES profile for South Canyon Elementary - 15, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 48/100.
👥 Class size 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 69
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Rapid City Area School District 51-4 · South Dakota
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 13.5:1 South Dakota avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.2%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Canyon Elementary - 15 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
South Canyon Elementary - 15 reports 274 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 19.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% above the South Dakota state mean of 13.5:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 12% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 22.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 23% below the South Dakota average and 57% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 12.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Rapid City Area School District 51-4 spends $11,988 per pupil district-wide, below the South Dakota average of $16,140 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 54.3% from local sources (property taxes), 26.7% from the state, and 18.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Canyon Elementary - 15 compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against South Dakota state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs South Dakota | South Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.2% | ▼ 23% | 28.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 274 | top 75% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
22.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 23% 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
14:1
students per teacher
— 4% above state mean
Top 59% in South Dakota — lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
12.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$11,988
per pupil, district-wide
— below South Dakota avg of $16,140
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 274 Top 75% in South Dakota — larger than 25% of 698 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 19.0
Students per teacher 14:1 +4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 22.2% -23% vs state
NCES ID 465982000527
Student demographics
White 66.1%
Hispanic or Latino 13.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 10.2%
Two or More 10.2%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 66.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 12.4%
In-school suspensions 12
Out-of-school suspensions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rapid City Area School District 51-4, which includes South Canyon Elementary - 15.
$11,988
Per student
-26%
vs South Dakota
Avg $16,140
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 54.3%
State 26.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,998
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,771
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Enrollment
- 618
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
Similar elementary schools in Rapid City
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Valley View Elementary - 13
Standard public school
605 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Meadowbrook Elementary - 10
Standard public school
478 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Corral Drive Elementary - 21
Standard public school
439 students 21:1 students per teacher
Grandview Elementary - 06
Standard public school
431 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Pinedale Elementary - 11
Standard public school
377 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Knollwood Heights Elementary - 08
Standard public school
368 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about South Canyon Elementary - 15
How many students attend South Canyon Elementary - 15?
South Canyon Elementary - 15 has 274 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Rapid City, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Canyon Elementary - 15?
The student-teacher ratio at South Canyon Elementary - 15 is 14:1, which is 4% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.5:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Canyon Elementary - 15?
22.2% of students at South Canyon Elementary - 15 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Canyon Elementary - 15?
The largest demographic group at South Canyon Elementary - 15 is White at 66.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Rapid City, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Canyon Elementary - 15?
South Canyon Elementary - 15 has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.