Enrollment
1,222
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Watertown, SD
Watertown High School - 01
Federal NCES profile for Watertown High School - 01, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 467662000717
👥 S:T ratio 33
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watertown High School - 01 earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of South Dakota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Dakota.
- #9 of 9
- public schools in Watertown · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.7:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 16.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Watertown High School - 01 has class sizes larger than 82% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watertown High School - 01 ranks #9 of 9 public schools in Watertown, SD.
School address
District: Watertown School District 14-4 · South Dakota
NCES ID 467662000717 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
73.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.5%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
What stands out at Watertown High School - 01
Watertown High School - 01 is a lower-poverty, large high school in Watertown, South Dakota, enrolling 1,222 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.7:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 16.5% lands close to the South Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Dakota, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,222 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 691 South Dakota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 20 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 predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 407 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Watertown School District 14-4 spends $9,475 per pupil, 30% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Watertown School District 14-4 also operates Watertown Middle School - 02 (575 students) and Watertown Intermediate School - 13 (532 students) alongside Watertown High School - 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 Watertown High School - 01 compares
Watertown High School - 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 | 16.7:1 | ▲ 23% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.5% | ▼ 43% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,222 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,222
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 82% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.3%
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
$9,475
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 407 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
135
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.9 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 81.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%
Two or More 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.6%
Asian 0.7%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 81.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.3, Watertown High School - 01 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watertown School District 14-4, which includes Watertown High School - 01.
$9,475
Per student
-30%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-43%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.1%
State 34.2%
Federal 16.7%
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 Watertown High School - 01 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown Middle School - 02 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Watertown Intermediate School - 13 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary - 05 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Elementary - 09 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mckinley Elementary - 06 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watertown High School - 01's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 575
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 361
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 296
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
Similar high 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 (~1,222 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watertown High School - 01's federal record.
- Compare Watertown High School - 01 against another school. Compare schools
- Watertown School District 14-4'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 Watertown High School - 01
How many students attend Watertown High School - 01?
Watertown High School - 01 has 1,222 students enrolled. It is a high school in Watertown, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watertown High School - 01?
The student-teacher ratio at Watertown High School - 01 is 16.7:1, which is 23% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watertown High School - 01?
16.5% of students at Watertown High School - 01 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watertown High School - 01?
The largest demographic group at Watertown High School - 01 is White at 81.6% of enrollment, in Watertown, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watertown High School - 01?
Watertown High School - 01 has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Watertown High School - 01 rank among public schools in Watertown?
By Resource Investment Index, Watertown High School - 01 ranks #9 of 9 public schools in Watertown, 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 Watertown on the city page.
Is Watertown High School - 01 a good school?
Watertown High School - 01 earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of South Dakota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Dakota. 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 Watertown School District 14-4?
Besides Watertown High School - 01, Watertown School District 14-4 also operates Watertown Middle School - 02 (575 students), Watertown Intermediate School - 13 (532 students), and Lincoln Elementary - 05 (361 students). See the Watertown School District 14-4 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.