operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 4676620
Watertown School District 14-4
Watertown, SD
Students3,690
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
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 standing2025
53rd percentile49th percentile45th percentileThis district is 4 percentile points higher than the state figure and 8 percentile points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
20.5%22.0%27.8%This district is 1.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 7.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$12,079$15,139$19,509This district is $3,060 per student lower than the state figure and $7,430 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$10,402$11,921$15,859This district is $1,519 per student lower than the state figure and $5,457 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$2,511$3,148$1,964This district is $637 per student lower than the state figure and $547 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$120$304$336This district is $184 per student lower than the state figure and $216 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$1,941$1,945$1,793This district is $4 per student lower than the state figure and $148 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$6,685$7,121$8,742This district is $436 per student lower than the state figure and $2,057 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$1,973$2,050$3,769This district is $77 per student lower than the state figure and $1,796 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$6,170$10,861$11,715This district is $4,691 per student lower than the state figure and $5,545 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$379$640$869This district is $261 per student lower than the state figure and $490 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
15:114:115:1This district is 1.0 students per teacher higher than the state figure and about the same as the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
335:1331:1376:1This district is 4 students per counselor higher than the state figure and 41 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
157.7150.4138.9This district is 7.3 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 18.8 staff per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
31.522.918.5This district is 8.6 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 13.0 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
0.80.70.9This district is 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.1 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
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 9–122023–24
2.0%3.6%2.6%This district is 1.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24
1.7%2.3%2.9%This district is 0.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
2.4%6.2%12.0%This district is 3.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 9.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
18.7%15.0%14.0%This district is 3.7 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
1.7%3.8%3.9%This district is 2.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
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 2023–24
-6.0%0.0%+0.5%This district is 6.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
24.1%28.7%50.6%This district is 4.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 26.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
2.4%3.3%4.5%This district is 0.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
4.2%7.1%9.0%This district is 2.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
4.5%5.7%6.7%This district is 1.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
6.6%10.9%14.4%This district is 4.3 percentage points lower than the state figure and 7.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Pre-K64 students
1.7%Kindergarten–grade 51,539 students
41.7%Grades 6–8865 students
23.4%Grades 9–121,222 students
33.1%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten64
Kindergarten236
Grade 1259
Grade 2253
Grade 3254
Grade 4254
Grade 5283
Grade 6276
Grade 7299
Grade 8290
Grade 9333
Grade 10303
Grade 11293
Grade 12293
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Early learning · 2023–24
How much public pre-K is reported?
Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers5.5 FTE
Kindergarten teachers11.1 FTE
Elementary teachers128.1 FTE
Secondary teachers62.4 FTE
Ungraded teachers41.3 FTE
Instructional coordinators4.5 FTE
District administrators9 FTE
District administrative support22 FTE
School administrative support8 FTE
Library and media support1 FTE
Other support staff122 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.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
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.
2.4%Students learning English81 students · 5 of 8 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
18.7%Students receiving IDEA special-education services758 students · 8 of 8 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
1.7%Students with Section 504 plans67 students · 7 of 8 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
0.2%English learners also receiving IDEA services7 students · 8 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.
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.
Brookings School District 05-1Brookings, SD3,446 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Essex-Westford Educational Community Unified School DistrictEssex Junction, VT3,685 studentsSimilar enrollment, English-learner enrollment, special-education enrollment · View profile →South Plainfield School DistrictSouth Plainfield, NJ3,694 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Barnegat Township School DistrictBarnegat, NJ3,665 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →West Babylon Union Free School DistrictWest Babylon, NY3,703 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Students not economically disadvantaged2,042 assessments
63 out of 100White students2,496 assessments
58 out of 100Mal1,615 assessments
54 out of 100Fem1,507 assessments
51 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students1,080 assessments
33 out of 100Hispanic students264 assessments
31 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$9,475
→FY 2023$10,402
FY 2022$2,511
→FY 2023$2,511
FY 2022$6,337
→FY 2023$6,170
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?
783 of 3,849 students
900 of 3,820 students
764 of 3,721 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 I1 reporting schools
100%
Calculus1 reporting schools
100%
Biology1 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry1 reporting schools
100%
Physics1 reporting schools
100%
Computer science1 reporting schools
100%
Advanced Placement1 reporting schools
100%
Dual enrollment1 reporting schools
100%
Gifted programs8 reporting schools
88%
International Baccalaureate1 reporting schools
0%
Athletics1 reporting schools
100%
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?
106Out-of-school suspensions8 reporting schoolsSee schools →246In-school suspensions8 reporting schoolsSee schools →127Law-enforcement referrals8 reporting schoolsSee schools →37School-related arrests8 reporting schoolsSee schools →3Physical restraint1 reporting schoolsSee schools →7Seclusion1 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.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?20.5% chronically absent2022–23 · 3,721 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?6 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$10,402current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?335:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
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 →