Enrollment
322
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Spearfish, SD
West Elementary - 03
Federal NCES profile for West Elementary - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 466693000392
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Elementary - 03 earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of South Dakota schools.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Spearfish · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.1:1
- small classes for South Dakota
- 13.1%
- free-lunch eligible
West Elementary - 03 has class sizes smaller than 78% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary - 03 ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Spearfish, SD.
School address
District: Spearfish School District 40-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 466693000392 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.1:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.1%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Elementary - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Elementary - 03
West Elementary - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Spearfish, South Dakota, enrolling 322 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 13.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 322 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 82 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #28.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 322 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
14.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Spearfish School District 40-2 spends $9,880 per pupil, 27% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Spearfish's elementary schools, it stands alongside Creekside Elementary - 07 (553 students): West Elementary - 03 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.1:1 vs 15.4:1).
Spearfish School District 40-2 also operates Spearfish High School - 01 (787 students) and Creekside Elementary - 07 (553 students) alongside West 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 West Elementary - 03 compares
West 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 | 10.1:1 | ▼ 26% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.1% | ▼ 55% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 322 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.1:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
322
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
10.1:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 22% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$9,880
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 322 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 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 87.9%
Two or More 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.1%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 87.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.3, West Elementary - 03 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Spearfish School District 40-2, which includes West Elementary - 03.
$9,880
Per student
-27%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.5%
State 31.6%
Federal 11.9%
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 Elementary - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spearfish High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Creekside Elementary - 07 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spearfish Middle School - 05 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary - 08 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 10 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Elementary - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 787
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 553
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 545
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 168
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 21
- Students per teacher
- 7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar elementary schools in Spearfish
3 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 (~322 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Elementary - 03's federal record.
- Compare West Elementary - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Spearfish School District 40-2'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 Elementary - 03
How many students attend West Elementary - 03?
West Elementary - 03 has 322 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Spearfish, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elementary - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at West Elementary - 03 is 10.1:1, which is 26% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 36% 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 West Elementary - 03?
13.1% of students at West Elementary - 03 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Elementary - 03?
The largest demographic group at West Elementary - 03 is White at 87.9% of enrollment, in Spearfish, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Elementary - 03?
West Elementary - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 West Elementary - 03 rank among elementary schools in Spearfish?
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary - 03 ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Spearfish, SD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Spearfish on the city page.
Is West Elementary - 03 a good school?
West Elementary - 03 earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller 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 Spearfish School District 40-2?
Besides West Elementary - 03, Spearfish School District 40-2 also operates Spearfish High School - 01 (787 students), Creekside Elementary - 07 (553 students), and Spearfish Middle School - 05 (545 students). See the Spearfish School District 40-2 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.