Enrollment
274
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Webster, SD
Webster Area Elementary - 03
Federal NCES profile for Webster Area Elementary - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 467699000723
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Webster Area Elementary - 03 earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of South Dakota schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Webster · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.1:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 17.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Webster Area Elementary - 03 has class sizes larger than 78% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Webster Area Elementary - 03 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Webster, SD.
School address
District: Webster Area 18-5 · South Dakota
NCES ID 467699000723 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.4%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Webster Area Elementary - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Webster Area Elementary - 03
Webster Area Elementary - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Webster, South Dakota, enrolling 274 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.1:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 17.4% lands close to the South Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 274 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 91 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #73, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 365 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Webster Area 18-5 spends $10,803 per pupil, 20% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Webster Area 18-5 also operates Webster Area High School - 01 (164 students) and Webster Area Middle School - 02 (108 students) alongside Webster Area Elementary - 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 Webster Area Elementary - 03 compares
Webster Area Elementary - 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 | 16.1:1 | ▲ 18% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.4% | ▼ 40% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 274 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
274
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 78% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,803
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
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 89.4%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
Two or More 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.3%
Largest group: White at 89.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.7, Webster Area Elementary - 03 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Webster Area 18-5, which includes Webster Area Elementary - 03.
$10,803
Per student
-20%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.2%
State 17.6%
Federal 14.3%
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 Webster Area Elementary - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webster Area High School - 01 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Webster Area Middle School - 02 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Webster Area Elementary - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 164
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 108
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~274 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Webster Area Elementary - 03's federal record.
- Compare Webster Area Elementary - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Webster Area 18-5'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 Webster Area Elementary - 03
How many students attend Webster Area Elementary - 03?
Webster Area Elementary - 03 has 274 students enrolled. It is a public school in Webster, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Webster Area Elementary - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Webster Area Elementary - 03 is 16.1:1, which is 18% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Webster Area Elementary - 03?
17.4% of students at Webster Area Elementary - 03 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Webster Area Elementary - 03?
The largest demographic group at Webster Area Elementary - 03 is White at 89.4% of enrollment, in Webster, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Webster Area Elementary - 03?
Webster Area Elementary - 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 Webster Area Elementary - 03 rank among public schools in Webster?
By Resource Investment Index, Webster Area Elementary - 03 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Webster, 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 Webster on the city page.
Is Webster Area Elementary - 03 a good school?
Webster Area Elementary - 03 earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Webster Area 18-5?
Besides Webster Area Elementary - 03, Webster Area 18-5 also operates Webster Area High School - 01 (164 students) and Webster Area Middle School - 02 (108 students). See the Webster Area 18-5 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.