Enrollment
787
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Spearfish, SD
Spearfish High School - 01
Federal NCES profile for Spearfish High School - 01, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 466693000623
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Spearfish High School - 01 earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of South Dakota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Dakota.
- #6 of 7
- public schools in Spearfish · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.9:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 6.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Spearfish High School - 01 has class sizes larger than 89% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Spearfish High School - 01 ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Spearfish, SD.
School address
District: Spearfish School District 40-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 466693000623 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.5%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Spearfish High School - 01 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Spearfish High School - 01
Spearfish High School - 01 is a lower-poverty, large high school in Spearfish, South Dakota, enrolling 787 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.9:1 is larger than about 89% of South Dakota schools and 32% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 6.5% free-meal eligibility runs 77% below the South Dakota average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Dakota, bigger than 97% of state schools at 787 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 36 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #29, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 394 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Spearfish School District 40-2 spends $9,880 per pupil, 27% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Spearfish's high schools, it stands alongside Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 10 (21 students): Spearfish High School - 01 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.9:1 vs 7:1).
Spearfish School District 40-2 also operates Creekside Elementary - 07 (553 students) and Spearfish Middle School - 05 (545 students) alongside Spearfish High School - 01.
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 Spearfish High School - 01 compares
Spearfish High School - 01 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 | 17.9:1 | ▲ 32% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.5% | ▼ 77% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 787 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
787
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% below the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 89% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.1%
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
$9,880
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 394 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 85.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
Two or More 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.0%
Asian 1.4%
African American 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 85.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.9, Spearfish High School - 01 is about as mixed as the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Spearfish School District 40-2, which includes Spearfish High School - 01.
$9,880
Per student
-27%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.5%
State 31.6%
Federal 11.9%
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 Spearfish High School - 01 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creekside Elementary - 07 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Spearfish Middle School - 05 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Elementary - 03 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary - 08 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 10 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Spearfish High School - 01's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 553
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 545
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 322
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 168
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 21
- Students per teacher
- 7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar high schools in Spearfish
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~787 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Spearfish High School - 01's federal record.
- Compare Spearfish High School - 01 against another school. Compare schools
- Spearfish School District 40-2'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 Spearfish High School - 01
How many students attend Spearfish High School - 01?
Spearfish High School - 01 has 787 students enrolled. It is a high school in Spearfish, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Spearfish High School - 01?
The student-teacher ratio at Spearfish High School - 01 is 17.9:1, which is 32% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Spearfish High School - 01?
6.5% of students at Spearfish High School - 01 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Spearfish High School - 01?
The largest demographic group at Spearfish High School - 01 is White at 85.8% of enrollment, in Spearfish, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Spearfish High School - 01?
Spearfish High School - 01 has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Spearfish High School - 01 rank among public schools in Spearfish?
By Resource Investment Index, Spearfish High School - 01 ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Spearfish, 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 Spearfish on the city page.
Is Spearfish High School - 01 a good school?
Spearfish High School - 01 earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of South Dakota schools. 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 Spearfish School District 40-2?
Besides Spearfish High School - 01, Spearfish School District 40-2 also operates Creekside Elementary - 07 (553 students), Spearfish Middle School - 05 (545 students), and West Elementary - 03 (322 students). See the Spearfish School District 40-2 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.