Other / mixed grade configuration · Bonesteel, SD

South Central Elementary - 03

Federal NCES profile for South Central Elementary - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 460767000882
0/100100/10052/100
👥 S:T ratio
70
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
48
📋 Attendance
62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

South Central Elementary - 03 earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of South Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools.

52
Resource Index · Higher
7.4:1
small classes for South Dakota
46.7%
free-lunch eligible
52
students enrolled

South Central Elementary - 03 has class sizes smaller than 91% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.

NCES CCD universe card

School universe 460767000882 · Bonesteel, SD Other · SMALL · TRAD

52 enr · 7.4:1 · 46.7% lunch · RII 52

Nearest enrollment peer: Ivalee Elementary School (200 students)

South Central Elementary - 03 CCD stamps from the federal school universe. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · South Dakota schools → · Find another →

How South Central Elementary - 03 compares

South Central Elementary - 03 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 7.4:1 ▼ 46% 13.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 46.7% ▲ 62% 28.8% 51.7%
Enrollment 52 top 70% - -

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

7.4:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
52
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
46.7%
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
7.4:1
students per teacher - 46% below state mean
Top 9% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
15.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,420
per pupil, district-wide - above South Dakota avg of $13,985
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.2 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 61.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 36.5%
Two or More 1.9%

Largest group: White at 61.5% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 48.8/100

Simpson diversity index - at 48.8, South Central Elementary - 03 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.

Programs

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Central 26-5, which includes South Central Elementary - 03.

$17,420
Per student
+25%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,985
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 37.2%
State 7.2%
Federal 55.7%

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.

Nationwide other schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about South Central Elementary - 03

How many students attend South Central Elementary - 03?

South Central Elementary - 03 has 52 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bonesteel, SD.

What is the student-teacher ratio at South Central Elementary - 03?

The student-teacher ratio at South Central Elementary - 03 is 7.4:1, which is 46% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 53% 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 South Central Elementary - 03?

46.7% of students at South Central Elementary - 03 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Central Elementary - 03?

The largest demographic group at South Central Elementary - 03 is White at 61.5% of enrollment, in Bonesteel, SD.

What is the Resource Investment Index for South Central Elementary - 03?

South Central Elementary - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

What other schools are in South Central 26-5?

None reported; South Central 26-5 operates only South Central Elementary - 03 as a public school district in NCES's records.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 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.

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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.