Enrollment
145
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wolsey, SD
Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02
Federal NCES profile for Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 468010000783
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 92
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Wolsey · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 15.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Wolsey, SD.
School address
District: Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6 · South Dakota
NCES ID 468010000783 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.1%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02
Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Wolsey, South Dakota, enrolling 145 students.
At 13.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Dakota median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 15.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 145 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 143 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #9, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 145 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6 also operates Wolsey Wessington High School - 01 (96 students) and Wolsey Wessington Middle School - 03 (75 students) alongside Wolsey Wessington 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 Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 compares
Wolsey Wessington 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 3% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.1% | ▼ 48% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 145 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
145
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 48% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
3.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,344
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 145 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.4 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 91.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
Two or More 2.1%
Largest group: White at 91.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.7, Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6, which includes Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02.
$12,344
Per student
-8%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.0%
State 25.0%
Federal 11.0%
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 Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolsey Wessington High School - 01 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wolsey Wessington Middle School - 03 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 96
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 75
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~145 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02's federal record.
- Compare Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6'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 Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02
How many students attend Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02?
Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 has 145 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wolsey, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 is 13.2:1, which is 3% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 16% 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 Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02?
15.1% of students at Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02?
The largest demographic group at Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 is White at 91.0% of enrollment, in Wolsey, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02?
Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (higher 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 Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 rank among public schools in Wolsey?
By Resource Investment Index, Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Wolsey, 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 Wolsey on the city page.
Is Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 a good school?
Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02 earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median. 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 Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6?
Besides Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02, Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6 also operates Wolsey Wessington High School - 01 (96 students) and Wolsey Wessington Middle School - 03 (75 students). See the Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6 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.