Enrollment
531
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sturgis, SD
Sturgis Elementary - 03
Federal NCES profile for Sturgis Elementary - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 466993000637
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sturgis Elementary - 03 earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Sturgis · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 22.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Sturgis Elementary - 03 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sturgis Elementary - 03 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Sturgis, SD.
School address
District: Meade School District 46-1 · South Dakota
NCES ID 466993000637 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.8%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sturgis Elementary - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sturgis Elementary - 03
Sturgis Elementary - 03 is a large elementary school in Sturgis, South Dakota, enrolling 531 students.
At 12.6:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 22.8% lands close to the South Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Dakota, bigger than 91% of state schools at 531 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 76 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 266 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Meade School District 46-1 spends $9,446 per pupil, 30% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Sturgis's elementary schools, it stands alongside Sturgis Williams Middle School - 02 (490 students): Sturgis Elementary - 03 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.6:1 vs 14.8:1).
Meade School District 46-1 also operates Sturgis Brown High School - 01 (845 students) and Piedmont Valley Elementary - 05 (514 students) alongside Sturgis Elementary - 03.
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 Sturgis Elementary - 03 compares
Sturgis 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.8% | ▼ 21% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 531 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
531
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 43% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
22.2%
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
$9,446
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 266 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 86.6%
Two or More 6.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.6%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 86.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.4, Sturgis Elementary - 03 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Meade School District 46-1, which includes Sturgis Elementary - 03.
$9,446
Per student
-30%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.4%
State 33.5%
Federal 15.1%
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 Sturgis Elementary - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sturgis Brown High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Piedmont Valley Elementary - 05 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sturgis Williams Middle School - 02 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stagebarn Middle School - 10 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whitewood Elementary - 04 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sturgis Elementary - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 845
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 432
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 138
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Sturgis
1 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.
Similar enrollment (~531 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sturgis Elementary - 03's federal record.
- Compare Sturgis Elementary - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Meade School District 46-1'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 Sturgis Elementary - 03
How many students attend Sturgis Elementary - 03?
Sturgis Elementary - 03 has 531 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sturgis, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sturgis Elementary - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Sturgis Elementary - 03 is 12.6:1, which is 7% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 20% 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 Sturgis Elementary - 03?
22.8% of students at Sturgis Elementary - 03 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sturgis Elementary - 03?
The largest demographic group at Sturgis Elementary - 03 is White at 86.6% of enrollment, in Sturgis, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sturgis Elementary - 03?
Sturgis Elementary - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Sturgis Elementary - 03 rank among public schools in Sturgis?
By Resource Investment Index, Sturgis Elementary - 03 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Sturgis, 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 Sturgis on the city page.
Is Sturgis Elementary - 03 a good school?
Sturgis Elementary - 03 earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median. 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 Meade School District 46-1?
Besides Sturgis Elementary - 03, Meade School District 46-1 also operates Sturgis Brown High School - 01 (845 students), Piedmont Valley Elementary - 05 (514 students), and Sturgis Williams Middle School - 02 (490 students). See the Meade School District 46-1 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.