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SD ยท 2024-25 school year

Public schools in South Dakota

South Dakota has 706 open public schools run by 165 districts and other education agencies, enrolling 140,592 students. Schools average 14.2 students per teacher, compared with 15.3 nationally.

State totals

Districts
165
Schools
706
Students
140,592
Teachers (FTE)
9,892
Students per teacher
14.2
US: 15.3
Charter schools
0
Total spending
$1.84 billion
2020 finance data
Spending per pupil
$13,231
2020 finance data. US: $16,826

In the 2020 finance data, districts in South Dakota spent $13,231 per pupil, which is below the US figure of $16,826. Dollars are nominal and not adjusted for regional costs or inflation.

Download all 706 South Dakota schools (CSV)

School districts in South Dakota

All 165 districts and agencies, largest first. Filter by name or city, or sort any column.
Sioux Falls School District 49-5Sioux Falls4425,05114.8$13,249
Rapid City Area School District 51-4Rapid City2512,30816.0$11,363
Harrisburg School District 41-2Harrisburg116,22213.6$13,482
Brandon Valley School District 49-2Brandon75,11517.6$12,260
Aberdeen School District 06-1Aberdeen94,23314.0$11,385
Watertown School District 14-4Watertown83,60615.1$11,974
Brookings School District 05-1Brookings93,54615.4$12,623
Huron School District 02-2Huron113,06817.0$12,409
Meade School District 46-1Sturgis113,04714.2$10,221
Yankton School District 63-3Yankton63,02116.9$10,336
Douglas School District 51-1Box Elder42,80815.3$10,728
Pierre School District 32-2Pierre52,74916.5$10,713
Mitchell School District 17-2Mitchell92,61913.4$11,189
Tea Area School District 41-5Tea62,50917.3$9,836
Spearfish School District 40-2Spearfish72,38514.1$10,532
Todd County School District 66-1Mission131,98012.6$22,305
Oglala Lakota County School District 65-1Batesland61,69611.9$20,934
West Central School District 49-7Hartford61,41815.4$10,999
Vermillion School District 13-1Vermillion31,38113.8$11,783
Dakota Valley School District 61-8North Sioux City41,34115.1$10,810
Belle Fourche School District 09-1Belle Fourche41,23913.0$10,415
Lennox School District 41-4Lennox51,19216.6$13,175
Madison Central School District 39-2Madison31,16914.6$11,501
Milbank School District 25-4Milbank497312.3$14,969
Dell Rapids School District 49-3Dell Rapids396514.8$13,610
Sisseton School District 54-2Sisseton396512.5$13,522
Tri-Valley School District 49-6Colton495214.2$12,422
Wagner Community School District 11-4Wagner491911.6$16,330
Hamlin School District 28-3Hayti389615.7$10,720
Canton School District 41-1Canton388814.6$12,430
Custer School District 16-1Custer688711.8$22,097
Chamberlain School District 07-1Chamberlain385810.7$14,048
Winner School District 59-2Winner382715.6$12,573
Sioux Valley School District 05-5Volga374214.5$10,725
Flandreau School District 50-3Flandreau471511.9$12,360
Hot Springs School District 23-2Hot Springs371012.5$10,213
Elk Point-Jefferson School District 61-7Elk Point369713.9$11,160
Beresford School District 61-2Beresford364814.4$13,087
Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1Lead46479.7$17,152
Mobridge-Pollock School District 62-6Mobridge459614.9$11,135
Bon Homme School District 04-2Tyndall758212.7$12,079
Chester Area School District 39-1Chester758216.6$9,774
Groton Area School District 06-6Groton357813.4$11,429
Baltic School District 49-1Baltic356815.4$10,296
Deuel School District 19-4Clear Lake355013.8$11,092
Parkston School District 33-3Parkston654612.1$10,777
Webster Area School District 18-5Webster354614.0$11,057
Redfield School District 56-4Redfield652310.7$13,936
Platte - Geddes School District 11-5Platte552212.1$12,398
Hill City School District 51-2Hill City352014.4$12,971
Showing 1 to 50 of 165

South Dakota district rankings

Ratio and spending lists include only districts with 1,000 or more students, so very small districts do not dominate. These are factual sorts, not quality ratings.

Largest districts

  1. 1.Sioux Falls School District 49-525,051
  2. 2.Rapid City Area School District 51-412,308
  3. 3.Harrisburg School District 41-26,222
  4. 4.Brandon Valley School District 49-25,115
  5. 5.Aberdeen School District 06-14,233
  6. 6.Watertown School District 14-43,606
  7. 7.Brookings School District 05-13,546
  8. 8.Huron School District 02-23,068
  9. 9.Meade School District 46-13,047
  10. 10.Yankton School District 63-33,021

Lowest student-teacher ratio

  1. 1.Oglala Lakota County School District 65-111.9
  2. 2.Todd County School District 66-112.6
  3. 3.Belle Fourche School District 09-113.0
  4. 4.Mitchell School District 17-213.4
  5. 5.Harrisburg School District 41-213.6
  6. 6.Vermillion School District 13-113.8
  7. 7.Aberdeen School District 06-114.0
  8. 8.Spearfish School District 40-214.1
  9. 9.Meade School District 46-114.2
  10. 10.Madison Central School District 39-214.6

Highest student-teacher ratio

  1. 1.Brandon Valley School District 49-217.6
  2. 2.Tea Area School District 41-517.3
  3. 3.Huron School District 02-217.0
  4. 4.Yankton School District 63-316.9
  5. 5.Lennox School District 41-416.6
  6. 6.Pierre School District 32-216.5
  7. 7.Rapid City Area School District 51-416.0
  8. 8.West Central School District 49-715.4
  9. 9.Brookings School District 05-115.4
  10. 10.Douglas School District 51-115.3

Highest spending per pupil (2020)

  1. 1.Todd County School District 66-1$22,305
  2. 2.Oglala Lakota County School District 65-1$20,934
  3. 3.Harrisburg School District 41-2$13,482
  4. 4.Sioux Falls School District 49-5$13,249
  5. 5.Lennox School District 41-4$13,175
  6. 6.Brookings School District 05-1$12,623
  7. 7.Huron School District 02-2$12,409
  8. 8.Brandon Valley School District 49-2$12,260
  9. 9.Watertown School District 14-4$11,974
  10. 10.Vermillion School District 13-1$11,783

Lowest spending per pupil (2020)

  1. 1.Tea Area School District 41-5$9,836
  2. 2.Meade School District 46-1$10,221
  3. 3.Yankton School District 63-3$10,336
  4. 4.Belle Fourche School District 09-1$10,415
  5. 5.Spearfish School District 40-2$10,532
  6. 6.Pierre School District 32-2$10,713
  7. 7.Douglas School District 51-1$10,728
  8. 8.Dakota Valley School District 61-8$10,810
  9. 9.West Central School District 49-7$10,999
  10. 10.Mitchell School District 17-2$11,189

Schools by level

194 high schools, 172 middle schools and 322 elementary schools. The largest of each are listed below; use search or a district page for the rest.

High schools 194

  1. Central High School - 41 Rapid City, 1,998 students
  2. Lincoln High School - 02 Sioux Falls, 1,954 students
  3. Jefferson High School - 67 Sioux Falls, 1,888 students
  4. Washington High School - 01 Sioux Falls, 1,819 students
  5. Harrisburg High School - 01 Harrisburg, 1,806 students
  6. Roosevelt High School - 03 Sioux Falls, 1,785 students
  7. Stevens High School - 42 Rapid City, 1,771 students
  8. Central High School - 01 Aberdeen, 1,384 students
  9. Brandon Valley High School - 01 Brandon, 1,381 students
  10. Watertown High School - 01 Watertown, 1,222 students
  11. Brookings High School - 01 Brookings, 979 students
  12. Yankton High School - 01 Yankton, 923 students
  13. Mitchell High School - 01 Mitchell, 879 students
  14. T F Riggs High School - 01 Pierre, 855 students
  15. Huron High School - 01 Huron, 852 students

Middle schools 172

  1. Memorial Middle School - 04 Sioux Falls, 1,133 students
  2. Edison Middle School - 06 Sioux Falls, 937 students
  3. Patrick Henry Middle School - 07 Sioux Falls, 925 students
  4. Ben Reifel Middle School - 68 Sioux Falls, 885 students
  5. Brandon Valley Intermediate - 07 Brandon, 829 students
  6. George McGovern Middle School -09 Sioux Falls, 780 students
  7. George S. Mickelson Middle School - 02 Brookings, 780 students
  8. Brandon Valley Middle School - 02 Brandon, 759 students
  9. Huron Middle School - 02 Huron, 716 students
  10. Whittier Middle School - 08 Sioux Falls, 675 students
  11. Georgia Morse Middle School - 02 Pierre, 672 students
  12. Douglas Middle School - 01 Box Elder, 633 students
  13. South Middle School - 36 Rapid City, 618 students
  14. Southwest Middle School - 38 Rapid City, 614 students
  15. East Middle School - 30 Rapid City, 613 students

Elementary schools 322

  1. Patriot Elementary -06 Box Elder, 982 students
  2. Discovery Elementary - 26 Sioux Falls, 873 students
  3. RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17 Sioux Falls, 846 students
  4. Brandon Elementary - 03 Brandon, 728 students
  5. Hayward Elementary - 38 Sioux Falls, 728 students
  6. Sonia Sotomayor Elementary - 65 Sioux Falls, 690 students
  7. Harvey Dunn Elementary - 54 Sioux Falls, 681 students
  8. John Harris Elementary - 23 Sioux Falls, 666 students
  9. John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 Sioux Falls, 661 students
  10. Anne Sullivan Elementary - 20 Sioux Falls, 632 students
  11. Vermillion Elementary - 05 Vermillion, 625 students
  12. Rosa Parks Elementary - 15 Sioux Falls, 618 students
  13. Oscar Howe Elementary - 58 Sioux Falls, 608 students
  14. Valley View Elementary - 13 Rapid City, 605 students
  15. Garfield Elementary - 19 Sioux Falls, 574 students

Cities with the most public schools

Neighbouring states

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and F-33 finance 2020, via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Last reviewed October 2026. Finance figures are 2020 finance data in nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Blank values are not available, not applicable or suppressed in the source. See the methodology.