Enrollment
296
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Colton, SD
Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 464494000406
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Colton · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 7.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Colton, SD.
School address
District: Tri-Valley School District 49-6 · South Dakota
NCES ID 464494000406 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.6%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03
Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Colton, South Dakota, enrolling 296 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.6% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the South Dakota average.
Enrollment of 296 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 78 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #60, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 592 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Colton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 (154 students): Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.8:1 vs 5.5:1).
Tri-Valley School District 49-6 also operates Tri-Valley High School - 01 (297 students) and Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 (154 students) alongside Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 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 Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 compares
Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 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 | 14.8:1 | ▲ 9% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.6% | ▼ 74% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 296 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
296
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 67% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.8 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 80.1%
African American 6.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
Two or More 5.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 80.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.6, Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tri-Valley School District 49-6, which includes Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03.
$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 Intermediate School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-Valley High School - 01 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03'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
- 154
- Students per teacher
- 5.5:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
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 (~296 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03's federal record.
- Compare Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 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 Intermediate School - 03
How many students attend Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03?
Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 has 296 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Colton, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 is 14.8:1, which is 9% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03?
7.6% of students at Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 is White at 80.1% of enrollment, in Colton, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03?
Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 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 Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 rank among public schools in Colton?
By Resource Investment Index, Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 ranks #2 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 Intermediate School - 03 a good school?
Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 earns 38/100 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 Tri-Valley School District 49-6?
Besides Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03, Tri-Valley School District 49-6 also operates Tri-Valley High School - 01 (297 students) and Tri-Valley Elementary - 02 (154 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.