Enrollment
154
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Colton, SD
Tri-Valley Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Tri-Valley Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 67/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 464494000776
👥 S:T ratio 78
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 69
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 earns 67/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of South Dakota schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Colton · Resource Index
- 67
- Resource Index · Higher
- 5.5:1
- small classes for South Dakota
- 13.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 has class sizes smaller than 96% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Colton, SD.
School address
District: Tri-Valley School District 49-6 · South Dakota
NCES ID 464494000776 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5.5:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-60% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.1%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tri-Valley Elementary - 02
Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Colton, South Dakota, enrolling 154 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 5.5:1, Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 is leaner than roughly 96% of South Dakota schools and 60% under the state's 13.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 13.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 154 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 691 South Dakota schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 135 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 (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 154 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Colton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 (296 students): Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (5.5:1 vs 14.8:1).
Tri-Valley School District 49-6 also operates Tri-Valley High School - 01 (297 students) and Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 (296 students) alongside Tri-Valley Elementary - 02.
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 Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 compares
Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 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 | 5.5:1 | ▼ 60% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.1% | ▼ 55% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 154 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5.5:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
154
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
5.5:1
students per teacher
- 60% below state mean
Top 4% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.1%
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
$11,057
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 154 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 90.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
Two or More 1.9%
African American 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 90.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.1, Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tri-Valley School District 49-6, which includes Tri-Valley Elementary - 02.
$11,057
Per student
-18%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.9%
State 29.6%
Federal 11.5%
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 Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-Valley High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tri-Valley Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 296
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar elementary schools in Colton
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 (~154 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~5.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tri-Valley Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Tri-Valley School District 49-6'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 Tri-Valley Elementary - 02
How many students attend Tri-Valley Elementary - 02?
Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 has 154 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Colton, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tri-Valley Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 is 5.5:1, which is 60% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 65% 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 Tri-Valley Elementary - 02?
13.1% of students at Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tri-Valley Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 is White at 90.3% of enrollment, in Colton, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tri-Valley Elementary - 02?
Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 67/100 (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 Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Colton?
By Resource Investment Index, Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Colton, 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 Colton on the city page.
Is Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 a good school?
Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 earns 67/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Tri-Valley School District 49-6?
Besides Tri-Valley Elementary - 02, Tri-Valley School District 49-6 also operates Tri-Valley High School - 01 (297 students) and Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 (296 students). See the Tri-Valley School District 49-6 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.