South Dakota’s 148 public school districts, 669 public schools, and 137,313 public school students last school year, starting in 2024. autumn until 2025 spring, showed “meaningful, albeit modest, improvement in overall academic achievement.”
That’s according to the South Dakota Department of Education’s annual state report card released Oct. 24.
Here’s how the state, Sioux Falls and its neighbors in Harrisburg, Brandon Valley, Tea Area, West Central, Lennox, Dell Rapids, Tri-Valley, Canton, Baltic and Garretson school districts fared on the report card.
Diversity
The student population in South Dakota’s public schools is 69.4% White, 10.31% Native American, 9.02% Latino, 6.11% Multiracial, 3.35% Black, 1.65% Asian, and 0.17% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
The Sioux Falls School District of 24,221 students is 55.5% White, 16.48% Latino, 12.82% Black, 8.01% Multiracial, 4.53% Native American, 2.42% Asian, and 0.23% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
More: The Sioux Falls School District releases learning, diversity reports for the school year
Statewide, 38.12% of students are considered economically disadvantaged, 16.26% have a disability, 5.83% are English Language Learners, 1.79% are homeless, 1.44% are military related, 1.26% are in foster care, and 0.48% are immigrants.
In Sioux Falls, 50.13% of students are economically disadvantaged, 16.1% have a disability, 12.72% are English Language Learners, 4.87% are homeless, 1.44% are in foster care, 1.29% are military related, and 1.16% are immigrants.
Ratings
On English language arts assessments in grades 3-8 and 11, 52% of students nationwide met or exceeded grade-level expectations, an improvement of one percentage point over last year.
Compared to 75% in Brandon Valley, 72% in Lennox, 68% in Dell Rapids, 66% in Baltic, 61% in Tea Area, 60% in Harrisburg, 59% in Canton, 54% in West Central and Tri-Valley, 50% in Sioux Falls and 45% in Garretson.
On math assessments in grades 3-8 and 11, 44% of students nationwide met or exceeded grade-level expectations. This is the same indicator as last year.
Compared to 68% in Brandon Valley, 66% in Lennox and Dell Rapids, 59% in Baltic, 58% in Tea Area, 54% in West Central, 52% in Harrisburg and Canton, 46% in Tri-Valley, 44% in Sioux Falls and 43% in Garretson.
More: See how South Dakota school districts fared in report cards for the 2024-2025 school year
Based on science assessments in grades 5, 8, and 11, 44% of students nationwide met or exceeded grade-level expectations, an improvement of one percentage point over last year.
Compared to 66% in the Baltic States; 62% in Brandon Valley; 61% Lennox; 53% in the area of tea; 51% in Harrisburg, West Central and Dell Rapids; 47% in Sioux Falls; 46% in the Tri-Valley; and 45% in Canton and Garretson.
Attendance
South Dakota’s attendance rate — students who attended 90% of school days — was 87%, the same as last year. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, this statewide attendance rate was 92 percent.
That compares to 98% in West Central and Lenox; 97% in the Tri-Valley; 96% in Harrisburg, Brandon Valley and Tea Area; 95% in Dell Rapids, Canton and the Baltic States; 94% Garretson; and 85% in Sioux Falls.
2023-2024 report card: South Dakota report card shows 1% improvement in attendance, DOE calls ‘positive momentum’
The state’s chronic absenteeism rate, defined as students who attended school for more than 10 days but missed 10% or more of their students during the school year, was 20%.
That compares to 25% in Sioux Falls; 12% Dell Rapids, Baltic and Garretson; 11% in Brandon Valley and Lennox; 8% in Harrisburg and the Tea area; 7% in the Tri-Valley and Canton; and 6% in the West Central.
Completion of studies
Statewide, 86% of students graduate on time or within four years of entering high school, compared to 96% in Dell Rapids; 95% in Brandon Valley; 94% in the tea area, West Central and Baltic countries; 93% Tri-Valley and Garretson; 92% in Harrisburg; 91% Lennox; and 89% in Sioux Falls and Canton.
South Dakota’s high school graduation rate, the percentage of students who graduate with a diploma or high school equivalency score of 21, is 91% statewide.
This compares to 100% for Lennox and Garretson; 99% in Harrisburg and Tea area; 98% in Brandon Valley and Dell Rapids; 97% in West Central, Trislenia and Baltic countries; 92% Canton; and 90% in Sioux Falls.
Nationwide, 55% of students are considered college and career ready, compared to 80% in the Baltic States; 75% Lennox and Tri-Valley; 72% in Brandon Valley; 71% in Harrisburg; 68% in Tea Area, West Central and Dell Rapids; 57% Garretson; 52% in Sioux Falls; and 45% in Canton.
Statewide, 59.62% of graduates enroll in higher education, 40.42% in public public institutions, 5.29% in private public institutions, and 13.91% in non-public colleges. 15.34% reach two years and 44.28% reach four years.
This article originally appeared in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader: How the Sioux Falls school district fared in 2024-25. on the state report card