operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 4666930
Spearfish School District 40-2
Spearfish, SD
Students2,387
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
Profile coverage
8 of 8 core data areas available
Each area is matched to this district’s NCES ID. Dates show the reporting year. Source links and coverage were last checked August 26, 2026.
✓Academic results2025Current release✓Attendance2022–23Current release✓Spending2022–23Current release✓Enrollment & staffing2023–24Current release✓Student support2021–22Older federal release✓Safety & civil rights2021–22Older federal release✓Community context2023Current release✓Programs & opportunities2021–22Older federal release
Five things to know
The district at a glance
Every answer links to the underlying measure. Reporting years stay attached to the data.
01Comparable nationwide
Explore outcomes by student group →Are students making academic progress?
5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore →02Comparable nationwideAre students missing too much school?
14.9% chronically absent2022–23 · 2,438 students measuredExplore →03Comparable nationwideIs the district improving?
Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore →04Comparable nationwideHow much does the district spend?
$9,680current spending per studentExplore →05Comparable nationwideDoes the district have enough support staff?
298:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore →Student outcomes
How are students doing?
Four views answer different questions. State test percentages show grade-level expectations; the national research trend shows change over time; graduation and dropout measures describe high-school outcomes.
Are results improving over time?
54thlatest estimated national standing
20192022202320242025
2 percentile points lower than 2019.
How many high-school students left during the year?
0.8%of students enrolled in grades 9–12
District0.8%
SD3.6%
U.S.2.6%
Lower is better. This annual rate is not the opposite of the graduation rate because the measures use different students and time periods.
State proficiency standards differ and should not be used for cross-state rankings. Graduation ranges and privacy protections are preserved exactly. The academic trend uses Stanford Education Data Archive estimates and is not a state proficiency percentage.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
What has changed?
The district’s recent direction
Each card uses its own clearly labeled period. Measures from different sources are never blended.
Lower than the first comparable year.
2019–2025 · Stanford research estimateHigher than the first year. More students were chronically absent.
2020–21–2022–23Student enrollment declined.
2021–22 to 2023–24 · NCESSpending per student decreased before adjusting for inflation.
FY 2022 to FY 2023 · NCES F-33Enrollment 2023–24Finance 2022–23Attendance 2022–23State tests 2024–25 where published
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Kindergarten–grade 51,033 students
43.3%Grades 6–8575 students
24.1%Grades 9–12779 students
32.6%See enrollment for every grade
Kindergarten166
Grade 1158
Grade 2190
Grade 3175
Grade 4175
Grade 5169
Grade 6178
Grade 7201
Grade 8196
Grade 9185
Grade 10212
Grade 11207
Grade 12175
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers2 FTE
Kindergarten teachers9 FTE
Elementary teachers97.2 FTE
Secondary teachers40.1 FTE
Ungraded teachers25.5 FTE
Instructional coordinators1 FTE
District administrators6 FTE
District administrative support6 FTE
School administrative support12 FTE
Other support staff44.6 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Teachers and staff
Teacher workforce
Loading the district’s workforce comparison…
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in SD receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
Tea Area School District 41-5Sioux Falls, SD
- Students
- 2,408
- Community poverty
- 3.5%
- English learners
- 2.3%
- Special education
- 14.5%
- Students
- 2,688
- Community poverty
- 7.6%
- English learners
- 1.0%
- Special education
- 10.2%
- Students
- 2,386
- Community poverty
- 6.7%
- English learners
- 2.8%
- Special education
- 10.1%
- Students
- 2,753
- Community poverty
- 9.0%
- English learners
- 0.8%
- Special education
- 13.6%
- Students
- 2,711
- Community poverty
- 9.9%
- English learners
- 4.6%
- Special education
- 16.4%
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictSDUnited States
Academic standing2025Stronger than benchmarks
54th percentile49th percentile45th percentileThis district is 5 percentile points higher than the state figure and 9 percentile points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23Stronger than benchmarks
14.9%22.0%27.8%This district is 7.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 12.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023Context only
$13,064$15,139$19,509This district is $2,075 per student lower than the state figure and $6,445 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023Context only
$9,680$11,921$15,859This district is $2,241 per student lower than the state figure and $6,179 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023Context only
$4,585$3,148$1,964This district is $1,437 per student higher than the state figure and $2,621 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023Context only
$161$304$336This district is $143 per student lower than the state figure and $175 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023Context only
$1,565$1,945$1,793This district is $380 per student lower than the state figure and $228 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023Context only
$5,802$7,121$8,742This district is $1,319 per student lower than the state figure and $2,940 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023Context only
$1,369$2,050$3,769This district is $681 per student lower than the state figure and $2,400 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023Context only
$6,437$10,861$11,715This district is $4,424 per student lower than the state figure and $5,278 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023Context only
$515$640$869This district is $125 per student lower than the state figure and $354 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
14:114:115:1This district is about the same as the state figure and 1.0 students per teacher lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
298:1331:1376:1This district is 33 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 78 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24Needs attention
133.5150.4138.9This district is 16.9 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 5.4 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24Mixed comparison
21.622.918.5This district is 1.3 aides per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 3.1 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24Needs attention
0.00.70.9This district is 0.7 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 0.9 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
100.0%98.9%99.0%This district is 1.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24Stronger than benchmarks
0.8%3.6%2.6%This district is 2.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
1.2%6.2%12.0%This district is 5.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 10.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
11.0%15.0%14.0%This district is 3.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
2.0%3.8%3.9%This district is 1.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
100.0%98.8%95.8%This district is 1.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24Context only
-0.9%0.0%+0.5%This district is 0.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.4 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district recordsContext only
11.9%28.7%50.6%This district is 16.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 38.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollmentStronger than benchmarks
0.9%3.3%4.5%This district is 2.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollmentStronger than benchmarks
3.4%7.1%9.0%This district is 3.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 5.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollmentStronger than benchmarks
0.0%5.7%6.7%This district is 5.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimateStronger than benchmarks
7.4%10.9%14.4%This district is 3.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 7.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
1.2%Students learning English29 students · 5 of 8 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
11.0%Students receiving IDEA special-education services267 students · 7 of 8 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
2.0%Students with Section 504 plans48 students · 6 of 8 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
0.0%English learners also receiving IDEA services0 students · 7 of 8 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Students not economically disadvantaged1,786 assessments
59 out of 100White students1,860 assessments
56 out of 100Fem1,032 assessments
55 out of 100Mal1,108 assessments
54 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students304 assessments
33 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$9,880
→FY 2023$9,680-2.0% year over year
FY 2022$1,661
→FY 2023$4,585+176.0% year over year
FY 2022$2,152
→FY 2023$6,437+199.1% year over year
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
288 of 2,356 students
377 of 2,409 students
364 of 2,438 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I3 reporting schools
100%
Calculus3 reporting schools
33%
Biology3 reporting schools
67%
Chemistry3 reporting schools
67%
Physics3 reporting schools
67%
Computer science3 reporting schools
0%
Advanced Placement3 reporting schools
33%
Dual enrollment3 reporting schools
33%
Gifted programs8 reporting schools
0%
International Baccalaureate3 reporting schools
0%
Athletics3 reporting schools
33%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
28Out-of-school suspensions8 reporting schoolsSee schools →114In-school suspensions8 reporting schoolsSee schools →4Law-enforcement referrals8 reporting schoolsSee schools →0School-related arrests8 reporting schoolsSee schools →4Physical restraint1 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →