Education (K-12) · 2024–25 school year
South Dakota Public Schools
Public K-12 education statistics for South Dakota — 140,592 students in 723 schools in 2024–25, with enrollment history back to 1986 and county-level detail from 2002.
| Statistic | Value | School year |
|---|---|---|
| Student enrollment | 140,592 | 2024–25 |
| Public schools | 723 | 2024–25 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 10,194 | 2024–25 |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 13.8 | 2024–25 |
| Free/reduced-price lunch students | 38.6% | 2024–25 |
| School poverty rate (MEPS) | 13.6% | 2022–23 |
| Charter school enrollment | 0.0% | 2024–25 |
| High school graduation rate | 86.1% | 2024–25 |
| Math proficiency (of tested) | 42.2% | 2021–22 |
| Reading proficiency (of tested) | 51.0% | 2021–22 |
| Chronically absent students | 22.4% | 2021–22 |
| White students | 69.3% | 2024–25 |
| Black students | 3.4% | 2024–25 |
| Hispanic students | 9.1% | 2024–25 |
| Asian students | 1.6% | 2024–25 |
Not every statistic is collected every year — each row shows its most recent available school year (amber when older than 2024–25). Blank/absent means not collected or below reliability floors, never zero. Some universal-meals states no longer report free/reduced-price lunch — school poverty (MEPS) is the better lens there. A 0% charter share in a state without a charter-school law is a true zero.
South Dakota state report card
Outcomes reported directly by South Dakota’s education agency — often more current than the federal series above. Because each state uses its own tests, definitions, and reporting windows, these figures are not comparable state-to-state; each row notes how South Dakota measures it.
| Measure | Latest | Trend | School year |
|---|---|---|---|
Dropout rate How South Dakota measures thisAnnual dropout rate as published on SD Report Card High School Completion report: dropouts during the year divided by enrollment (denominator ~63,000 matches statewide grades 7-12 enrollment), statewide 'All Districts/All Schools' row | 2.6% | 2024–25 | |
Math proficiency (state test) How South Dakota measures thisSmarter Balanced Mathematics, % proficient or above (levels 3-4), grades 3-8 and 11 combined, statewide 'All Districts/All Schools' row of SD Report Card Student Performance export | 44.2% | 2024–25 | |
Reading / ELA proficiency (state test) How South Dakota measures thisSmarter Balanced English Language Arts, % proficient or above (levels 3-4), grades 3-8 and 11 combined, statewide 'All Districts/All Schools' row of SD Report Card Student Performance export | 51.6% | 2024–25 | |
Chronic absenteeism (recent) How South Dakota measures thisChronic Absenteeism Rate: % of enrolled students absent 10% or more of their enrolled school days (SD Report Card School Environment measure); denominator is cumulative enrollment during the year (all students enrolled, not fall snapshot), statewide 'All Districts/All Schools' row | 20.3% | 2024–25 |
Source: South DakotaDepartment of Education (public reporting), 2026 collection. Not comparable across states — proficiency reflects different assessments and cut scores; graduation, dropout, and college-going use each state’s own cohort definitions and windows. Absent rows mean the state doesn’t publish that measure in a comparable file.
South Dakota schools by county
Students enrolled, 2024–25.
South Dakota schools — FAQ
How many students attend public school in South Dakota?+
140,592 students were enrolled in South Dakota's 723 public K-12 schools in the 2024–25 school year, taught by 10,194 full-time-equivalent teachers (NCES Common Core of Data).
What share of South Dakota students get free or reduced-price lunch?+
38.6% of South Dakota public school students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25 — a common proxy for student economic need.
What is South Dakota's high school graduation rate?+
86.1% of South Dakota's adjusted cohort graduated in the 2024–25 school year — reported by South Dakota's education agency (its 4-year ACGR, more current than the federal series, which lags to 2021–22). Graduation rates run from 2010–11 onward.
Where does this data come from?+
Core statistics (enrollment, schools, teachers, poverty, demographics) come from the National Center for Education Statistics — the Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Civil Rights Data Collection. The most recent graduation rates and the state report-card outcomes (proficiency, college-going, dropout, chronic absenteeism) come directly from state education agencies, which publish sooner than the federal series. Full source and license details are on the methodology page. pumsdata is independent and not affiliated with NCES or any state agency.
Other states
Data: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (CCD, EDFacts, CRDC) and ED Data Express, plus current-year graduation and report-card outcomes from state education agencies. Full source and license details on the methodology page.