Enrollment
333
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Wagner, SD
Wagner Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Wagner Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 467542000694
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wagner Elementary - 02 earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% of South Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Wagner · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 10.7:1
- small classes for South Dakota
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Wagner Elementary - 02 has class sizes smaller than 74% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wagner Elementary - 02 ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Wagner, SD.
School address
District: Wagner Community School District 11-4 · South Dakota
NCES ID 467542000694 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+247% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wagner Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wagner Elementary - 02
Wagner Elementary - 02 is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Wagner, South Dakota, enrolling 333 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 247% above the South Dakota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 333 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 691 South Dakota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 18 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #17, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by American Indian / Alaska Native (58%) and White (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1332 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 64.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Wagner's elementary schools, it stands alongside Wagner Middle School - 03 (283 students): Wagner Elementary - 02 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 13.5:1).
Wagner Community School District 11-4 also operates Wagner Middle School - 03 (283 students) and Wagner High School - 01 (201 students) alongside Wagner 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 Wagner Elementary - 02 compares
Wagner 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 | 10.7:1 | ▼ 21% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 247% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 333 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
333
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 247% 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
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 26% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.5%
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
$14,978
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Dakota avg of $13,477
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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
American Indian / Alaska Native 58.3%
White 30.0%
Two or More 8.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 58.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Wagner Elementary - 02 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wagner Community School District 11-4, which includes Wagner Elementary - 02.
$14,978
Per student
+11%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.4%
State 24.5%
Federal 64.1%
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 Wagner Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wagner Middle School - 03 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wagner High School - 01 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Early Learning Center - 04 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wagner Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 283
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 201
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 102
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in Wagner
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 (~333 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wagner Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Wagner Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Wagner Community School District 11-4'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 Wagner Elementary - 02
How many students attend Wagner Elementary - 02?
Wagner Elementary - 02 has 333 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Wagner, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wagner Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Wagner Elementary - 02 is 10.7:1, which is 21% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 32% 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 Wagner Elementary - 02?
100.0% of students at Wagner Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wagner Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Wagner Elementary - 02 is American Indian / Alaska Native at 58.3% of enrollment, in Wagner, SD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wagner Elementary - 02?
Wagner Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Wagner Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Wagner?
By Resource Investment Index, Wagner Elementary - 02 ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Wagner, 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 Wagner on the city page.
Is Wagner Elementary - 02 a good school?
Wagner Elementary - 02 earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 74% of South Dakota schools. It is also more 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 Wagner Community School District 11-4?
Besides Wagner Elementary - 02, Wagner Community School District 11-4 also operates Wagner Middle School - 03 (283 students), Wagner High School - 01 (201 students), and Early Learning Center - 04 (102 students). See the Wagner Community School District 11-4 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in South Dakota
All public schools in South Dakota
Wagner Community School District 11-4
All schools in this district
Schools in Wagner
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.