Enrollment
52
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
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 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 460767000882
👥 Class size 74
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 62
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 →
The verdict
South Central Elementary - 03 earns a C- Resource Investment Index (53/100), with class sizes smaller than 97% of South Dakota schools.
- C-
- Resource Index · 53/100
- 6.4:1
- small classes for South Dakota
- 46.7%
- free-lunch eligible
- 52
- students enrolled
South Central Elementary - 03 has class sizes smaller than 97% of South Dakota schools — smaller than 97% of schools in South Dakota. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: South Central 26-5 · 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)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6.4:1
vs 13.5:1 South Dakota avg
-53% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.7%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Central Elementary - 03 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 Central Elementary - 03 reports 52 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 7.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 6.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 53% below the South Dakota state mean of 13.5:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 59% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 46.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 62% above the South Dakota average and 10% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 260 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 15.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding South Central 26-5 spends $19,360 per pupil district-wide, above the South Dakota average of $13,477 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 37.2% from local sources (property taxes), 7.2% from the state, and 55.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (C-), calculated from 4 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 Central Elementary - 03 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 | 6.4:1 | ▼ 53% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.7% | ▲ 62% | 28.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 52 | top 30% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
6 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 98% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
52 larger than 6% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
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
6.4:1
students per teacher
— 53% below state mean
Top 3% in South Dakota — lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
15.4%
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
$19,360
per pupil, district-wide
— above South Dakota avg of $13,477
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.2 FTE
Per 260 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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.
Overview
Enrollment 52 Top 30% in South Dakota — larger than 70% of 698 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 7.0
Students per teacher 6.4:1 -53% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 46.7% +62% vs state
NCES ID 460767000882
Student demographics
White 61.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 36.5%
Two or More 1.9%
Largest group: White at 61.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.2
Students per counselor 260:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 15.4%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Central 26-5, which includes South Central Elementary - 03.
$19,360
Per student
+44%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
+17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.2%
State 7.2%
Federal 55.7%
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.
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.
Before you act on this record
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
- Compare South Central Elementary - 03 side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools
- Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
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 other 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 6.4:1, which is 53% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.5:1 and 59% 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%. The school serves a student body in Bonesteel, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Central Elementary - 03?
South Central Elementary - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (C-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is South Central Elementary - 03 a good school?
South Central Elementary - 03 earns a C- Resource Investment Index (53/100), with class sizes smaller than 97% of South Dakota schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.