Enrollment
32
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Britton, SD
Sunset Colony Elementary - 04
Federal NCES profile for Sunset Colony Elementary - 04, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 460004101143
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 92
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of South Dakota schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Britton · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 32:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 87.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 has class sizes larger than 99% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Britton, SD.
School address
District: Britton-Hecla School District 45-4 · South Dakota
NCES ID 460004101143 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
32:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+135% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.5%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+204% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sunset Colony Elementary - 04
Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Britton, South Dakota, enrolling 32 students.
Class loads run heavy: 32:1 is larger than about 99% of South Dakota schools and 135% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 87.5% of students qualify for free meals, 204% above the South Dakota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 32 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 18 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #16, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 0/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Britton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Britton-Hecla Elementary - 02 (166 students): Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (32:1 vs 11.1:1).
Britton-Hecla School District 45-4 also operates Britton-Hecla Elementary - 02 (166 students) and Britton-Hecla High School - 01 (127 students) alongside Sunset Colony Elementary - 04.
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 Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 compares
Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 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 | 32:1 | ▲ 135% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.5% | ▲ 204% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 32 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
32:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
32
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 204% above the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
32:1
students per teacher
- 135% above state mean
Top 99% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
3.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$10,943
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 100.0%
Largest group: White at 100.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.0, Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Britton-Hecla School District 45-4, which includes Sunset Colony Elementary - 04.
$10,943
Per student
-19%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.1%
State 14.6%
Federal 16.3%
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 Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britton-Hecla Elementary - 02 | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Britton-Hecla High School - 01 | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Britton-Hecla Middle School - 03 | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Westwood Rural Elementary - 05 | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sunset Colony High School - 06 | Smaller | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Sunset Colony Elementary - 04's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 166
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 127
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 97
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 38
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 8
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar elementary schools in Britton
2 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 (~32 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sunset Colony Elementary - 04's federal record.
- Compare Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 against another school. Compare schools
- Britton-Hecla School District 45-4'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 Sunset Colony Elementary - 04
How many students attend Sunset Colony Elementary - 04?
Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 has 32 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Britton, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sunset Colony Elementary - 04?
The student-teacher ratio at Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 is 32:1, which is 135% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 104% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sunset Colony Elementary - 04?
87.5% of students at Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sunset Colony Elementary - 04?
The largest demographic group at Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 is White at 100.0% of enrollment, in Britton, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sunset Colony Elementary - 04?
Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 rank among elementary schools in Britton?
By Resource Investment Index, Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Britton, SD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Britton on the city page.
Is Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 a good school?
Sunset Colony Elementary - 04 earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of South Dakota schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools. 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 Britton-Hecla School District 45-4?
Besides Sunset Colony Elementary - 04, Britton-Hecla School District 45-4 also operates Britton-Hecla Elementary - 02 (166 students), Britton-Hecla High School - 01 (127 students), and Britton-Hecla Middle School - 03 (97 students). See the Britton-Hecla School District 45-4 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.