Enrollment
408
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hartford, SD
West Central High School - 01
Federal NCES profile for West Central High School - 01, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 463171000274
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Central High School - 01 earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of South Dakota schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Hartford · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.5:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 6.7%
- free-lunch eligible
West Central High School - 01 has class sizes larger than 91% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Central High School - 01 ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Hartford, SD.
School address
District: West Central School District 49-7 · South Dakota
NCES ID 463171000274 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.7%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Central High School - 01 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Central High School - 01
West Central High School - 01 is a lower-poverty, large high school in Hartford, South Dakota, enrolling 408 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.5:1 is larger than about 91% of South Dakota schools and 36% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 6.7% free-meal eligibility runs 77% below the South Dakota average.
Enrollment of 408 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.
Against 70 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #50.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 408 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding West Central School District 49-7 spends $9,843 per pupil, 27% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
West Central School District 49-7 also operates West Central Hartford Elementary - 05 (368 students) and West Central Humboldt Elementary - 02 (310 students) alongside West Central 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 West Central High School - 01 compares
West Central 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 | 18.5:1 | ▲ 36% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.7% | ▼ 77% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 408 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.5:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
408
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% 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
18.5:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 91% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
7.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$9,843
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 408 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.3 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 91.2%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 91.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.6, West Central High School - 01 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Central School District 49-7, which includes West Central High School - 01.
$9,843
Per student
-27%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.4%
State 39.1%
Federal 12.5%
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 West Central High School - 01 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Central Hartford Elementary - 05 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Central Humboldt Elementary - 02 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Central Middle School - 04 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Falls Academy - 08 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brighten Transition Youth Treatment Center - 07 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Central High School - 01's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 310
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 297
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 29
- Students per teacher
- 29:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 6
- Students per teacher
- 3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
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 (~408 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Central High School - 01's federal record.
- Compare West Central High School - 01 against another school. Compare schools
- West Central School District 49-7'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 West Central High School - 01
How many students attend West Central High School - 01?
West Central High School - 01 has 408 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hartford, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Central High School - 01?
The student-teacher ratio at West Central High School - 01 is 18.5:1, which is 36% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Central High School - 01?
6.7% of students at West Central 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 West Central High School - 01?
The largest demographic group at West Central High School - 01 is White at 91.2% of enrollment, in Hartford, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Central High School - 01?
West Central High School - 01 has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical 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 West Central High School - 01 rank among public schools in Hartford?
By Resource Investment Index, West Central High School - 01 ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Hartford, 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 Hartford on the city page.
Is West Central High School - 01 a good school?
West Central High School - 01 earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 West Central School District 49-7?
Besides West Central High School - 01, West Central School District 49-7 also operates West Central Hartford Elementary - 05 (368 students), West Central Humboldt Elementary - 02 (310 students), and West Central Middle School - 04 (297 students). See the West Central School District 49-7 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.