Which South Dakota public schools have the most resources?

Kimball Elementary - 02 in Kimball scored 66 of 100 on the PlainSchools resource index, the highest of South Dakota's schools with 100 or more students that report all four of its factors.

How is the resource index calculated?

It averages up to four factors, each scored 0 to 100: students per teacher (2024-25; 0 at 25 or more), students per counselor (CRDC 2021-22; 0 at 500 or more), a gifted program (CRDC 2021-22; 70 if offered, 30 if not) and chronic absenteeism (EDFacts 2022-23; 0 at 40% or more). It measures resources, not test scores or teaching quality.

South Dakota public schools by resource index

Kimball Elementary - 02 in Kimball scored highest of South Dakota's public schools with 100 or more students on the resource index, 66 of 100: 10.3 students per teacher, 107 students per counselor and 1.6% chronically absent. The index averages staffing, counseling, gifted programs and attendance; it measures resources, not how well students learn.

Resource index 2024-25 × 2021-22 · schools open in 2024-25 with 100+ students and all 4 factors reported; online, alternative, special-education, pre-K-only and correctional programs left out · method

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

The 50 highest scores, with each factor

School	Per teacher	Per counselor	Gifted	Chronically absent	Index
Kimball Elementary - 02	10.3	107	No	1.6%	66
Montrose Elementary - 02	11.0	101	No	3.7%	64
Faulkton Elementary - 02	12.1	98	No	6.2%	62
Timber Lake Elementary - 02	9.9	143	No	5.4%	62
Canistota Elementary - 02	10.6	116	No	7.0%	62
Buffalo Elementary - 02	10.4	89	No	9.8%	62
Burke Elementary - 02	11.3	117	No	7.4%	61
Laura B. Anderson Elementary - 10	11.3	181	Yes	19.4%	60
Clark Elementary - 02	12.2	129	No	6.5%	60
Irene - Wakonda Elementary - 02	12.1	154	No	4.3%	60
All City Elementary - 50	17.4	276	Yes	2.8%	60
Plankinton Elementary - 02	10.3	146	No	7.8%	60
Armour Elementary - 02	12.9	93	No	8.1%	60
Colman Elementary - 03	13.8	143	No	4.5%	59
Tri-Valley Elementary - 02	12.0	367	Yes	5.7%	59

The other 35 on the list

School	Per teacher	Per counselor	Gifted	Chronically absent	Index
Florence High School - 01	10.8	85	No	12.9%	59
McCook Central Elementary - 02	12.5	144	No	7.1%	58
Chester Elementary -02	15.4	131	No	4.4%	58
Miller High School - 01	10.9	120	No	12.0%	58
Castlewood Elementary - 02	13.0	135	No	7.1%	58
Highmore Elementary - 02	11.5	118	No	11.5%	58
Baltic Middle School - 03	13.4	128	No	7.8%	58
Chester High School - 01	10.6	112	No	13.8%	58
Custer Elementary - 02	10.3	154	No	11.5%	57
Miller Elementary - 02	10.8	232	No	4.3%	57
Platte - Geddes Elementary - 02	12.9	215	No	2.3%	57
Deubrook Elementary - 03	11.8	187	No	7.4%	57
Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04	14.0	115	No	8.6%	57
Hanson Elementary - 06	14.3	151	No	5.9%	57
Warner Elementary - 02	13.1	235	No	1.3%	57
Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02	12.7	163	No	7.2%	57
Northwestern Elementary - 04	14.0	196	No	3.4%	57
Custer Jr. High - 05	13.4	88	No	12.9%	57
Colman-Egan High School - 01	14.6	94	No	9.7%	57
Harrisburg North Middle School - 08	12.3	392	Yes	8.0%	56
Woonsocket Elementary - 03	13.9	160	No	7.2%	56
Ethan Elementary - 02	14.1	150	No	8.6%	56
Wessington Springs Elementary - 02	11.0	139	No	13.2%	56
Sanborn Central Elementary - 06	11.2	218	No	7.7%	56
Clear Lake Elementary - 02	12.2	237	No	5.8%	55
McCook Central High School - 01	12.5	118	No	14.1%	55
Timber Lake High School - 01	12.9	105	No	14.2%	55
Castlewood High School - 01	16.3	92	No	11.0%	55
Garretson Middle School - 03	13.2	198	No	6.7%	55
Marion Elementary - 02	9.4	224	No	11.5%	55
Adventure Elementary - 10	16.4	407	Yes	2.2%	54
Tea Area Venture Elementary - 06	15.1	254	No	1.8%	54
Dell Rapids Middle School - 03	16.1	101	No	11.0%	54
Redfield Elementary - 03	11.2	239	No	9.3%	54
Mellette Elementary - 07	13.7	274	Yes	17.0%	54

Source: NCES CCD 2024-25 (students per teacher); CRDC 2021-22 (counselors on CRDC enrollment, gifted program); EDFacts 2022-23 (chronic absenteeism). Index: the mean of the factors reported, each 0 to 100.

More lists for South Dakota

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

Questions about the resource index

Which South Dakota public schools have the most resources?
Kimball Elementary - 02 in Kimball scored 66 of 100 on the PlainSchools resource index, the highest of South Dakota's schools with 100 or more students that report all four of its factors.
How is the resource index calculated?
It averages up to four factors, each scored 0 to 100: students per teacher (2024-25; 0 at 25 or more), students per counselor (CRDC 2021-22; 0 at 500 or more), a gifted program (CRDC 2021-22; 70 if offered, 30 if not) and chronic absenteeism (EDFacts 2022-23; 0 at 40% or more). It measures resources, not test scores or teaching quality.

Sources

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

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Civil Rights Data Collection Counselors and gifted programs · 2021-22

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