Enrollment
538
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Tea, SD
Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01
Federal NCES profile for Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 460005200388
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 92
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of South Dakota schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Tea · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.9:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 7.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 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, Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Tea, SD.
School address
District: Tea Area School District 41-5 · South Dakota
NCES ID 460005200388 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.3%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01
Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Tea, South Dakota, enrolling 538 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, 7.3% free-meal eligibility runs 75% below the South Dakota average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Dakota, bigger than 92% of state schools at 538 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 62 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #41.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 538 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Tea Area School District 41-5 spends $8,726 per pupil, 35% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Tea's elementary schools, it stands alongside Tea Area Venture Elementary - 06 (379 students): Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.9:1 vs 15.2:1).
Tea Area School District 41-5 also operates Tea Area High School - 03 (717 students) and Tea Area Middle School - 02 (583 students) alongside Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 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 Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 compares
Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 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 | 7.3% | ▼ 75% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 538 | top 8% | - | - |
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.
538
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% 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
3.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$8,726
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 538 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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 85.1%
Two or More 6.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
African American 0.7%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 85.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.7, Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 is about as mixed as the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tea Area School District 41-5, which includes Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01.
$8,726
Per student
-35%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-47%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.3%
State 50.0%
Federal 10.8%
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 Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tea Area High School - 03 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tea Area Middle School - 02 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tea Area Venture Elementary - 06 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tea Area Frontier Elementary - 05 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tea Area Preschool - 07 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 379
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 73
- Students per teacher
- 73:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar elementary schools in Tea
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 (~538 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01's federal record.
- Compare Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 against another school. Compare schools
- Tea Area School District 41-5'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 Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01
How many students attend Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01?
Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 has 538 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Tea, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01?
The student-teacher ratio at Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 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 Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01?
7.3% of students at Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01?
The largest demographic group at Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 is White at 85.1% of enrollment, in Tea, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01?
Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 rank among public schools in Tea?
By Resource Investment Index, Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Tea, 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 Tea on the city page.
Is Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 a good school?
Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of 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 Tea Area School District 41-5?
Besides Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01, Tea Area School District 41-5 also operates Tea Area High School - 03 (717 students), Tea Area Middle School - 02 (583 students), and Tea Area Venture Elementary - 06 (379 students). See the Tea Area School District 41-5 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.