How equitable is school funding in South Dakota?

The average funding equity score for South Dakota school districts is 51 out of 100, compared to the national average of 49. This score considers per-pupil spending, need-adjusted spending, funding source diversity, and student-teacher ratios.

What does the equity score measure?

The equity score (0-100) measures four dimensions: per-pupil spending level, need-adjusted spending (rewarding districts that spend more where poverty is higher), funding diversity (less reliance on local property taxes), and resource access (lower student-teacher ratios).

South Dakota · NCES F-33 finance data

School Funding Equity in South Dakota

121 districts ranked by how equitably school funding is distributed, scored from NCES F-33 school finance data covering districts in all 50 states.

Compiled by PlainSchools, Education-data publisher · August 26, 2026

The equity picture in one line

Eagle Butte School District 20-1 ranks first in South Dakota for funding equity at 100/100, in a state whose districts average 51 against a national average of 49.

100/100
top score (Eagle Butte School District 20-1): $29,680
per-pupil spending in the top district: 23
districts scoring 70 or higher: 21
districts below 30

#	District	Enrollment	$/Pupil	Free Lunch	Local Rev %	Score
1	Eagle Butte School District 20-1	362	$29,680	84.3%	10.1%	100
2	Mclaughlin School District 15-2	442	$19,882	100.0%	13.5%	96
3	White River School District 47-1	419	$17,516	100.0%	15.0%	95
4	Timber Lake School District 20-3	362	$19,724	26.8%	11.7%	95
5	Andes Central School District 11-1	340	$18,724	100.0%	25.2%	95
6	Kadoka Area School District 35-2	328	$17,201	33.3%	32.8%	93
7	Bennett County School District 03-1	490	$15,808	100.0%	12.2%	91
8	Todd County School District 66-1	2,047	$16,807	100.0%	5.9%	90
9	Dupree School District 64-2	405	$17,030	99.9%	13.9%	90
10	Wagner Community School District 11-4	905	$15,825	100.0%	11.4%	88
11	Oglala Lakota County 65-1	1,797	$23,662	100.0%	2.0%	83
12	Wilmot School District 54-7	222	$15,275	37.9%	43.2%	83
13	Rosholt School District 54-4	231	$14,502	40.4%	35.2%	82
14	Chamberlain School District 07-1	851	$14,079	39.4%	40.2%	81
15	Lyman School District 42-1	370	$15,524	25.9%	48.0%	81
16	Avon School District 04-1	224	$15,045	14.1%	39.2%	81
17	Leola School District 44-2	210	$17,371	16.1%	55.0%	78
18	Plankinton School District 01-1	283	$14,643	18.9%	49.1%	75
19	Menno School District 33-2	288	$15,003	37.1%	61.1%	74
20	Wall School District 51-5	283	$14,254	20.3%	44.6%	73
21	Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1	736	$18,954	40.9%	82.8%	72
22	Agar-Blunt-Onida School District 58-3	231	$20,411	15.9%	88.8%	72
23	Gettysburg School District 53-1	211	$15,194	11.8%	59.2%	70
24	Newell School District 09-2	289	$12,872	30.5%	50.2%	69
25	Sanborn Central School District 55-5	210	$14,443	14.7%	56.4%	69
26	Sisseton School District 54-2	979	$13,105	46.5%	39.2%	68
27	Burke School District 26-2	237	$15,962	21.7%	55.1%	68
28	Harding County School District 31-1	224	$17,112	15.8%	66.6%	68
29	Armour School District 21-1	219	$13,941	17.2%	54.5%	68
30	Mobridge-Pollock 62-6	571	$12,998	23.1%	45.2%	66
31	Parkston School District 33-3	562	$11,975	51.4%	47.8%	64
32	Irene - Wakonda School District 13-3	293	$15,724	19.8%	63.8%	64
33	Gregory School District 26-4	431	$13,009	32.6%	52.7%	62
34	Hitchcock Tulare School District 56-6	232	$14,677	17.2%	77.3%	62
35	Custer School District 16-1	911	$14,663	17.4%	77.4%	61
36	Bridgewater-Emery 30-3	333	$13,961	21.7%	60.2%	61
37	Scotland School District 04-3	297	$12,593	19.0%	53.9%	61
38	Huron School District 02-2	2,906	$12,082	50.1%	35.9%	60
39	Estelline School District 28-2	274	$14,690	17.1%	62.4%	60
40	Montrose School District 43-2	259	$14,672	11.8%	44.3%	60
41	Iroquois School District 02-3	241	$14,257	27.1%	69.5%	59
42	Redfield School District 56-4	555	$12,962	16.7%	64.6%	58
43	Highmore-Harrold 34-2	222	$14,405	17.3%	65.9%	58
44	Langford Area 45-5	242	$14,401	27.2%	65.2%	56
45	Flandreau School District 50-3	694	$12,654	-	43.0%	55
46	Stanley County School District 57-1	416	$13,524	17.9%	67.7%	55
47	Alcester-Hudson School District 61-1	352	$12,506	15.9%	58.8%	55
48	Canistota School District 43-1	293	$13,724	16.4%	49.8%	55
49	Gayville-Volin School District 63-1	289	$11,882	15.0%	34.9%	53
50	Woonsocket School District 55-4	285	$12,340	15.6%	48.6%	53
51	Mount Vernon School District 17-3	273	$12,363	16.0%	46.6%	53
52	Waverly School District 14-5	271	$12,520	15.0%	45.1%	52
53	Clark School District 12-2	482	$11,583	45.4%	64.0%	51
54	Kimball School District 07-2	357	$11,655	45.8%	56.8%	51
55	Lemmon School District 52-4	283	$13,696	16.9%	63.8%	51
56	Sioux Falls School District 49-5	25,123	$11,456	37.4%	48.1%	50
57	Bon Homme School District 04-2	589	$12,156	19.5%	50.6%	50
58	Douglas School District 51-1	2,750	$11,597	20.9%	21.1%	49
59	Miller 29-4	457	$15,359	7.4%	72.4%	49
60	Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6	359	$12,744	21.6%	64.0%	49
61	Belle Fourche School District 09-1	1,329	$10,737	26.7%	38.6%	48
62	Milbank School District 25-4	1,033	$12,156	19.5%	60.9%	48
63	Tri-Valley School District 49-6	945	$12,004	9.3%	58.9%	47
64	Beresford School District 61-2	708	$11,801	14.4%	51.5%	46
65	Corsica-Stickney 21-3	276	$12,670	10.3%	63.4%	46
66	Aberdeen School District 06-1	4,326	$10,673	27.2%	47.7%	45
67	Faulkton Area Schools 24-4	386	$12,427	12.9%	66.3%	45
68	Brookings School District 05-1	3,431	$11,811	15.9%	51.4%	44
69	Centerville School District 60-1	290	$11,041	9.6%	45.3%	44
70	Mitchell School District 17-2	2,722	$10,795	24.6%	46.0%	43
71	Howard School District 48-3	351	$14,128	6.1%	73.7%	43
72	Freeman School District 33-1	404	$13,342	16.3%	63.4%	41
73	Hanson School District 30-1	396	$10,813	10.5%	49.6%	41
74	Florence School District 14-1	308	$11,425	16.8%	36.6%	41
75	Winner School District 59-2	814	$10,722	33.9%	45.6%	40
76	Garretson School District 49-4	460	$11,726	8.6%	53.4%	39
77	Vermillion School District 13-1	1,436	$11,110	26.6%	53.1%	38
78	Hot Springs School District 23-2	772	$10,609	17.3%	51.7%	38
79	Platte - Geddes School District 11-5	512	$11,895	7.1%	64.7%	38
80	Viborg-Hurley School District 60-6	418	$11,055	16.5%	56.7%	38
81	De Smet School District 38-2	327	$13,208	13.2%	63.6%	38
82	Arlington School District 38-1	303	$13,195	11.0%	68.5%	36
83	Pierre School District 32-2	2,762	$10,579	23.4%	43.0%	35
84	Canton School District 41-1	874	$11,514	9.9%	59.6%	35
85	Hill City School District 51-2	493	$12,450	19.5%	76.4%	35
86	Ethan School District 17-1	283	$10,901	9.6%	34.8%	35
87	New Underwood School District 51-3	291	$11,007	14.1%	35.5%	34
88	Meade School District 46-1	3,058	$9,885	18.2%	51.4%	33
89	Elk Point-Jefferson School District 61-7	688	$11,520	7.3%	51.6%	33
90	Willow Lake School District 12-3	323	$11,529	16.0%	63.0%	33
91	Harrisburg School District 41-2	5,912	$11,031	8.3%	58.8%	32
92	Groton Area School District 06-6	597	$12,132	7.3%	83.4%	32
93	Parker School District 60-4	491	$10,578	6.5%	49.5%	32
94	Yankton School District 63-3	3,036	$10,904	23.8%	50.3%	31
95	Mccook Central School District 43-7	434	$11,673	12.5%	54.5%	31
96	Castlewood School District 28-1	334	$10,964	7.9%	40.4%	31
97	Watertown School District 14-4	3,803	$10,402	24.3%	49.1%	30
98	West Central School District 49-7	1,412	$10,992	10.0%	48.4%	30
99	Deuel School District 19-4	544	$11,450	10.1%	59.3%	30
100	Colman-Egan School District 50-5	296	$11,568	10.9%	52.8%	30
101	Rapid City Area School District 51-4	12,747	$10,377	42.5%	54.3%	29
102	Madison Central School District 39-2	1,147	$10,867	15.6%	63.6%	29
103	Dell Rapids School District 49-3	982	$10,960	8.1%	56.3%	29
104	Elkton School District 05-3	441	$11,628	21.3%	75.0%	29
105	Haakon School District 27-1	318	$12,283	5.4%	60.1%	29
106	Baltic School District 49-1	608	$9,313	10.7%	42.5%	28
107	Deubrook Area School District 05-6	423	$11,567	7.8%	60.2%	28
108	Warner School District 06-5	314	$10,685	6.2%	46.8%	28
109	Spearfish School District 40-2	2,423	$9,680	10.8%	56.5%	27
110	Northwestern Area School District 56-7	336	$12,473	9.0%	70.2%	26
111	Sioux Valley School District 05-5	739	$9,934	9.4%	47.7%	24
112	Britton-Hecla School District 45-4	476	$11,160	30.7%	69.1%	24
113	Ipswich Public School District 22-6	457	$11,269	13.6%	74.5%	24
114	Brandon Valley School District 49-2	4,948	$10,306	7.3%	45.9%	22
115	Tea Area School District 41-5	2,361	$9,842	7.9%	39.3%	22
116	Dakota Valley School District 61-8	1,387	$11,120	8.8%	66.0%	22
117	Chester Area School District 39-1	576	$10,311	9.2%	55.3%	20
118	Webster Area 18-5	551	$10,579	14.5%	68.2%	20
119	Lennox School District 41-4	1,211	$10,690	7.8%	55.8%	19
120	Hamlin School District 28-3	870	$9,580	15.6%	52.3%	18
121	Wessington Springs School District 36-2	422	$10,820	13.2%	62.1%	17

How the Equity Score Works

The equity score (0-100) evaluates four dimensions of school funding fairness. According to the National Center for Education Statistics F-33 Finance Survey (FY 2022-23), which covers more than 17,000 districts nationwide, local property wealth drives most of the spending differences the score captures; our methodology documents each weight:

Per-Pupil Spending (0-25)

Higher spending relative to peers

Need-Adjusted Spending (0-25)

Spending weighted by poverty level, rewards districts that spend more where need is greatest

Funding Diversity (0-25)

Less reliance on local property taxes, more state/federal support

Resource Access (0-25)

Lower student-teacher ratios = more individualized attention

National Equity Rankings → ← Back to South Dakota

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.