Enrollment
88
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waubay, SD
Waubay Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Waubay Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 467668000719
👥 S:T ratio 65
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waubay Elementary - 02 earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of South Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Waubay · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8.8:1
- small classes for South Dakota
- 36.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Waubay Elementary - 02 has class sizes smaller than 86% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waubay Elementary - 02 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Waubay, SD.
School address
District: Waubay School District 18-3 · South Dakota
NCES ID 467668000719 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.8:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.8%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waubay Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waubay Elementary - 02
Waubay Elementary - 02 is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Waubay, South Dakota, enrolling 88 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.8:1, Waubay Elementary - 02 is leaner than roughly 86% of South Dakota schools and 35% under the state's 13.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 36.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 88 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 45 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #29.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 267 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 43.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Waubay School District 18-3 also operates Waubay High School - 01 (65 students) and Waubay Middle School - 03 (24 students) alongside Waubay 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 Waubay Elementary - 02 compares
Waubay 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 | 8.8:1 | ▼ 35% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.8% | ▲ 28% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 88 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.8:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
88
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% above 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
8.8:1
students per teacher
- 35% below state mean
Top 14% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.5%
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
$15,511
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 60.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 25.0%
Two or More 13.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
Largest group: White at 60.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.6, Waubay Elementary - 02 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waubay School District 18-3, which includes Waubay Elementary - 02.
$15,511
Per student
+15%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 19.0%
Federal 43.5%
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 Waubay Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waubay High School - 01 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waubay Middle School - 03 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waubay Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 65
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- 6:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
Similar other 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 (~88 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waubay Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Waubay Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Waubay School District 18-3'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 Waubay Elementary - 02
How many students attend Waubay Elementary - 02?
Waubay Elementary - 02 has 88 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waubay, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waubay Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Waubay Elementary - 02 is 8.8:1, which is 35% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 44% 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 Waubay Elementary - 02?
36.8% of students at Waubay Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waubay Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Waubay Elementary - 02 is White at 60.2% of enrollment, in Waubay, SD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waubay Elementary - 02?
Waubay Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Waubay Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Waubay?
By Resource Investment Index, Waubay Elementary - 02 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Waubay, 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 Waubay on the city page.
Is Waubay Elementary - 02 a good school?
Waubay Elementary - 02 earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% 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 Waubay School District 18-3?
Besides Waubay Elementary - 02, Waubay School District 18-3 also operates Waubay High School - 01 (65 students) and Waubay Middle School - 03 (24 students). See the Waubay School District 18-3 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.