Chronic absenteeism in South Dakota public schools

Todd County High School - 01 in Mission had the highest chronic absenteeism of any South Dakota school with 50 or more students in 2022-23: 99.4% of its students missed 10% or more of their school days. The average South Dakota school reported 18.3%, against 26.5% for U.S. schools; 21 of the 100 schools listed were at 50% or more.

EDFacts chronic absenteeism 2022-23 · schools open in 2024-25 with 50+ students · method

The chart draws the top of the register below; its source is named under the register.

The 100 highest rates

School	City	Students 2024‑25	Chronically absent 2022‑23
Todd County High School - 01	Mission	447	99.4%
Lakota Tech High School - 10	Batesland	414	91.3%
Rapid City High School - 45	Rapid City	356	90.7%
Todd County Middle School - 10	Mission	353	87.8%
He Dog Elementary - 05	Parmelee	189	87.7%
Spring Creek Elementary - 07	St Francis	57	84.4%
Todd County Elementary - 16	Mission	511	83.4%
Eagle Butte Upper Elementary - 03	Eagle Butte	281	81.8%
Rosebud Elementary - 04	Rosebud	292	75.2%
Batesland School - 01	Batesland	175	75.0%
Dupree High School - 01	Dupree	111	70.7%
Sisseton High School - 01	Sisseton	304	63.2%
Bennett County High School - 01	Martin	125	62.7%
McLaughlin High School - 01	McLaughlin	155	60.6%
Dupree Jr. High - 04	Dupree	52	60.0%

The other 85 on the list

School	City	Students 2024‑25	Chronically absent 2022‑23
Rockyford School - 03	Porcupine	404	59.6%
Central High School - 41	Rapid City	1,998	56.2%
Oelrichs Elementary - 02	Oelrichs	55	56.1%
North Middle School - 35	Rapid City	418	54.8%
Waubay High School - 01	Waubay	65	54.7%
Bridges At Horace Mann - 52	Sioux Falls	55	50.0%
South Park Elementary - 16	Rapid City	313	48.7%
General Beadle Elementary - 01	Rapid City	483	47.5%
Alcester-Hudson High School - 01	Alcester	99	47.1%
Wolf Creek School - 02	Pine Ridge	567	45.7%
Knollwood Heights Elementary - 08	Rapid City	368	45.7%
Washington High School - 01	Sioux Falls	1,819	45.4%
Huron High School - 01	Huron	852	45.0%
Jefferson High School - 67	Sioux Falls	1,888	44.8%
Andes Central High School - 01	Lake Andes	65	44.4%
Horace Mann Elementary - 07	Rapid City	274	41.5%
Roosevelt High School - 03	Sioux Falls	1,785	40.5%
South Middle School - 36	Rapid City	618	40.5%
Rosholt High School - 01	Rosholt	74	40.3%
Winner High School - 01	Winner	203	40.0%
Wagner High School - 01	Wagner	201	40.0%
Community Campus - 41	Sioux Falls	77	39.3%
Harding County High School - 01	Buffalo	66	39.3%
Lincoln High School - 02	Sioux Falls	1,954	39.1%
Brookings High School - 01	Brookings	979	38.9%
George McGovern Middle School -09	Sioux Falls	780	38.9%
Wagner Middle School - 03	Wagner	283	38.6%
Marion High School - 01	Marion	62	38.2%
Wilmot Middle School - 03	Wilmot	58	38.2%
Bennett County Middle School - 06	Martin	100	37.8%
Watertown High School - 01	Watertown	1,222	37.2%
Stanley County High School - 01	Fort Pierre	142	36.8%
Central High School - 01	Aberdeen	1,384	36.7%
Douglas High School - 03	Box Elder	739	36.7%
Westside Elementary - 03	Sisseton	380	36.5%
Summit High School - 01	Summit	50	36.5%
Vermillion High School - 01	Vermillion	413	35.3%
Hot Springs High School - 01	Hot Springs	215	35.3%
Lowell Elementary - 28	Sioux Falls	426	34.9%
Wagner Elementary - 02	Wagner	333	34.8%
Sisseton Middle School - 02	Sisseton	281	34.7%
Dupree Elementary - 02	Dupree	203	33.6%
McLaughlin Elementary - 02	McLaughlin	203	33.5%
Whittier Middle School - 08	Sioux Falls	675	33.2%
Chamberlain Jr. High - 02	Chamberlain	208	33.0%
Parker High School - 01	Parker	141	32.5%
Stevens High School - 42	Rapid City	1,771	32.4%
Terry Redlin Elementary - 11	Sioux Falls	412	32.3%
Garfield Elementary - 19	Sioux Falls	574	32.2%
Lyman High School - 01	Presho	80	32.2%
T F Riggs High School - 01	Pierre	855	31.9%
Deuel High School - 01	Clear Lake	176	31.9%
Viborg-Hurley High School - 01	Viborg	124	31.9%
Buchanan K-1 Center - 18	Huron	467	31.7%
Woodrow Wilson Elementary - 17	Rapid City	328	31.2%
Robbinsdale Elementary - 14	Rapid City	328	31.2%
White River Middle School - 04	White River	93	31.1%
East Middle School - 30	Rapid City	613	30.8%
White River High School - 01	White River	112	30.3%
Sturgis Brown High School - 01	Sturgis	845	30.2%
Douglas Middle School - 01	Box Elder	633	30.1%
Britton-Hecla High School - 01	Britton	127	30.0%
Hayward Elementary - 38	Sioux Falls	728	29.8%
White River Elementary - 02	White River	172	29.7%
Northwestern High School - 01	Mellette	91	29.5%
Huron Middle School - 02	Huron	716	29.4%
Plankinton High School - 01	Plankinton	86	29.3%
Stanley County Middle School - 02	Fort Pierre	106	29.1%
Flandreau High School - 01	Flandreau	201	29.0%
Andes Central Middle School - 04	Lake Andes	51	29.0%
Lyman Middle School - 02	Presho	84	28.9%
Lead-Deadwood High School - 01	Lead	211	28.8%
Redfield High School - 01	Redfield	153	28.4%
Lead-Deadwood Middle School - 02	Lead	139	28.3%
Wall High School - 01	Wall	100	28.3%
Waverly-South Shore High School - 01	Waverly	86	28.3%
Edison Middle School - 06	Sioux Falls	937	28.1%
Martin Elementary - 03	Martin	217	28.1%
Flandreau Middle School - 03	Flandreau	193	28.0%
West Middle School - 37	Rapid City	591	27.9%
Hawthorne Elementary - 56	Sioux Falls	443	27.8%
Cleveland Elementary - 14	Sioux Falls	465	27.7%
Wilmot High School - 01	Wilmot	64	27.3%
Gregory High School - 01	Gregory	117	27.2%
New Underwood High School - 01	New Underwood	92	27.1%

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts 2022-23: students absent 10% or more of school days over enrollment. Enrollment from NCES CCD 2024-25.

How many South Dakota schools report a rate

476 of 490 South Dakota schools with 50 or more students report a rate (97%) in the 2022-23 file. The state average on the national state ranking rests on these reporting schools.

More lists for South Dakota

01Chronic absenteeism by state
The national ranking
02Public schools in South Dakota
The state hub: schools, students, districts
03Every school district
Directory, 2024-25
04Largest schools
By 2024-25 enrollment
05Fewest students per teacher
Schools, 2024-25
06Highest-spending districts
F-33 fiscal year 2022-23

Sources

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts Chronic absenteeism by school · 2022-23

Compiled from official source data by PlainSchools. · Updated September 2026