Enrollment
153
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Willow Lake, SD
Willow Lake Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Willow Lake Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 467935000755
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willow Lake Elementary - 02 earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of South Dakota schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Willow Lake · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 23.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Willow Lake Elementary - 02 has class sizes larger than 85% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willow Lake Elementary - 02 ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Willow Lake, SD.
School address
District: Willow Lake School District 12-3 · South Dakota
NCES ID 467935000755 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.6%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willow Lake Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willow Lake Elementary - 02
Willow Lake Elementary - 02 is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Willow Lake, South Dakota, enrolling 153 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 23.6% lands close to the South Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 153 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 118 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #103, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (97% of enrollment) (diversity index 6/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 464 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Willow Lake School District 12-3 also operates Willow Lake High School - 01 (69 students) and Willow Lake Middle School - 03 (54 students) alongside Willow Lake 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 Willow Lake Elementary - 02 compares
Willow Lake 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 25% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.6% | ▼ 18% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 153 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
153
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
17:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 85% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
7.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,121
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
Counselors0.3 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 96.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 96.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.4, Willow Lake Elementary - 02 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Willow Lake School District 12-3, which includes Willow Lake Elementary - 02.
$11,121
Per student
-17%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.0%
State 27.0%
Federal 10.0%
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 Willow Lake Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Lake High School - 01 | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Willow Lake Middle School - 03 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mayfield Colony Elementary - 04 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shamrock Colony Elementary - 05 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Collins Colony Elementary - 06 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willow Lake Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 69
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 54
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 31
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 21
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 16
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~153 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willow Lake Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Willow Lake Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Willow Lake School District 12-3'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 Willow Lake Elementary - 02
How many students attend Willow Lake Elementary - 02?
Willow Lake Elementary - 02 has 153 students enrolled. It is a public school in Willow Lake, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willow Lake Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Willow Lake Elementary - 02 is 17:1, which is 25% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Willow Lake Elementary - 02?
23.6% of students at Willow Lake Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willow Lake Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Willow Lake Elementary - 02 is White at 96.7% of enrollment, in Willow Lake, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willow Lake Elementary - 02?
Willow Lake Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Willow Lake Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Willow Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Willow Lake Elementary - 02 ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Willow Lake, 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 Willow Lake on the city page.
Is Willow Lake Elementary - 02 a good school?
Willow Lake Elementary - 02 earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Willow Lake School District 12-3?
Besides Willow Lake Elementary - 02, Willow Lake School District 12-3 also operates Willow Lake High School - 01 (69 students), Willow Lake Middle School - 03 (54 students), and Mayfield Colony Elementary - 04 (31 students). See the Willow Lake School District 12-3 district page for the complete list.
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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.