Public schools in South Dakota

The NCES directory lists 706 public schools operating in South Dakota in 2024-25; 670 of them reported 139,197 students, averaging 13.3 students per teacher, tied for 32nd with Pennsylvania and West Virginia of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts (the mean of its schools' ratios); Tennessee did not. Its largest district is Sioux Falls School District, with 24,994 students in 2024-25.

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23 · method

Schools670315 elementary, 163 middle, 181 high, 11 other
Students139,1970.3% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher13.3U.S. 15.3

South Dakota has fewer students per teacher than the U.S. average

South Dakota ranks 32nd of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts, counting from the most students per teacher; below, it is shown with the states ranked just above and below it. The full ranking of all 51 is on the states page.

  1. Illinois13.5
  2. Louisiana13.5
  3. Pennsylvania13.3
  4. South Dakota13.3
  5. West Virginia13.3
  6. Rhode Island13.2
  7. Nebraska13.1

Eight in ten larger South Dakota districts spent between $9,885 and $12,082 per student

Among the 24 South Dakota districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $9,885 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $12,082; the median was $10,886. Each tick below is one district: the spread shows how far apart the state's districts are, which a statewide average hides.

Current spending per student, South Dakota districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2324 values from $9,680 to $23,662; ; state median $10,886.$9,885$12,082the middle eight in ten1 more above $17,500 →$8k$10k$13k$15k$18kcurrent spending per studentstate median $10,886
Current spending per student, South Dakota districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2324 values from $9,680 to $23,662; ; state median $10,886.$9,885$12,082the middle eight in ten1 more above $17,500 →$8k$10k$13k$15k$18kcurrent spending per studentstate median $10,886
Current spending per student, South Dakota districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2324 values from $9,680 to $23,662; ; state median $10,886.$9,885$12,082the middle eight in ten1 more above $17,500 →$8k$10k$13k$15k$18kcurrent spending per studentstate median $10,886
Current spending per student, South Dakota districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2324 values from $9,680 to $23,662; ; state median $10,886.$9,885$12,082the middle eight in ten1 more above $17,500 →$8k$10k$13k$15k$18kcurrent spending per studentstate median $10,886

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: mean of school ratios from 3 to 99, schools open that year; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures over fall membership, districts with at least 1,000 students.

State test results, 2022-23

In 2022-23, 50% of the South Dakota students tested met the state's reading standard and 42.1% its math standard. South Dakota writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare South Dakota's districts and schools with each other, not with other states; each district and school page gives its own results beside these. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 84% of 9,963 students.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2022-23 and four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students.

In the South Dakota almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: Central High School - 41, 1,998 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Lincoln Elementary - 08, 8.2 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: Oglala Lakota County 65-1, $23,662 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Douglas School District 51-1, $61,738 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Lennox Intermediate - 09, 0.6% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: Kimball Elementary - 02, 66 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Baltic School District 49-1, 52 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in South Dakota

  1. Sioux Falls School District24,994
  2. Rapid City Area Schools12,669
  3. Harrisburg School District5,794
  4. Brandon Valley School District 49-25,115
  5. Aberdeen School District 06-14,233
  6. Watertown School District3,606
  7. Brookings School District 05-13,465
  8. Meade School District 46-13,047

Every South Dakota school district, with a find box →

Source: Largest districts: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, students in the district's schools open that year.

Cities with the most public schools

  1. Sioux Falls28,510 students52 schools
  2. Rapid City12,364 students25 schools
  3. Aberdeen4,252 students11 schools
  4. Mitchell2,626 students10 schools
  5. Huron3,025 students9 schools
  6. Wessington Springs461 students7 schools
  7. Watertown3,586 students7 schools
  8. Spearfish2,398 students7 schools
  9. Plankinton291 students7 schools
  10. Faulkton404 students7 schools
  11. Yankton3,021 students6 schools
  12. Leola185 students6 schools

All cities →

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: a school counts under the city in its mailing address, so a large city's count takes in suburbs that share its postal name.

Questions about South Dakota's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in South Dakota?
    The NCES directory lists 706 operating in 2024-25; 670 of them reported students: 315 elementary, 163 middle, 181 high and 11 other, enrolling 139,197 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in South Dakota?
    13.3 students per full-time teacher in 2024-25, against 15.3 for the U.S.; the mean of school ratios for schools open that year.
  3. What is the largest school district in South Dakota?
    Sioux Falls School District, with 24,994 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does South Dakota spend per public-school student?
    $12,005 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, summed over its districts (NCES F-33).

Sources

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership and staff files · 2024-25

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District membership and spending · FY 2022-23

Compiled from official source data by .