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Schools in Dakota Dunes · Dakota Valley School District 61-8

Dakota Dunes’s public schools outscore 82% of South Dakota districts

64% of students in Dakota Dunes’s public schools are proficient in reading, above the South Dakota average (51%). The grade covers the public school district serving Dakota Dunes, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within South Dakota, not nationally.

#5of 35 South Dakota townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From South Dakota state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
64%
▲ 13 pts vs SD 51%
2021–22
Math proficiency
48%
▲ 6 pts vs SD 42%
2021–22
Graduate on time
95–100%
▲ 11–16 pts vs SD 84%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$11.8K
▼ 9% vs SD $13.0K
FY2024
Students per teacher
15.1
SD 13.7 · larger classes
Schools in town
0
1,162 students on the public path
In brief

Dakota Dunes’s schools, in brief

Above the state on both counts

Reading proficiency is 64% and math 48% in spring 2022, against 51% and 42% statewide; 95–100% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 84%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $11,808 per student, against $13,040 across South Dakota (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

One elementary school, then one middle and one high school

From grade 6 the district’s path is Dakota Valley Middle School - 03, then Dakota Valley High School - 01. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Dakota Dunes’s grade

B+ Test scoresA+ Graduation

A−: better than 82% of South Dakota school districts, #5 of 35 South Dakota towns. Test scores and graduation are both above the South Dakota average; graduation is the stronger of the two.

South Dakota school districts we grade (147)Better than 82%
Lower resultsHigher results
South Dakota towns with similar household incomes (236)Better than 80%
A−AA fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 748 test results and a graduating class of 92 could put Dakota Dunes anywhere from A− to A. The tests are from spring 2022, when 100% of Dakota Dunes’s students in the tested grades sat them (749 in math, 748 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Dakota Dunes, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
K–3Dakota Valley Elementary - 02in North Sioux CityA
6–8Dakota Valley Middle School - 03in North Sioux CityB−
9–12Dakota Valley High School - 01in North Sioux CityA−

Dakota Dunes’s public schools are run by Dakota Valley School District 61-8, which also serves Big Sioux, Jefferson and North Sioux City. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Dakota Valley School District 61-8Grades K–12 · 4 schools · 1,341 students, down 3% since 2020–21 · 15.1 per teacher (SD 13.7)
$11,808SD $13,040 · FY2024
A−
Test scores · 2021–22

Well above the state in reading

Reading64%
State average 51% · 748 students tested
Math48%
State average 42.2% · 749 students tested

Dakota Dunes vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the South Dakota towns that share Dakota Dunes’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
Dakota DunesA−Dakota Valley School District 61-8
Big SiouxA−Dakota Valley School District 61-8
North Sioux CityA−Dakota Valley School District 61-8

All 2 neighbors share Dakota Valley School District 61-8 with Dakota Dunes, so their letters differ mainly through other districts. Sioux City, IA borders Dakota Dunes but is graded on its own state’s tests, so it’s left out.

Every school in Dakota Dunes

3 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with South Dakota’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

Also serving Dakota Dunesin other towns
Dakota Valley Elementary - 02
Elementary · Grades K–3 · North Sioux City
A
386 students13:1Rate it →
Dakota Valley Middle School - 03
Middle · Grades 6–8 · North Sioux City
B−
345 students17:1Rate it →
Dakota Valley High School - 01
High · Grades 9–12 · North Sioux City
A−
431 students16:1Rate it →

Questions about Dakota Dunes’s schools

Are Dakota Dunes’s schools good?

By South Dakota’s own tests, yes: the public schools Dakota Dunes children attend outscore 82% of South Dakota’s school districts on tests and graduation, an A− Schools grade, #5 of 35 South Dakota towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 80%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Dakota Dunes in?

Dakota Valley School District 61-8, which runs grades K–12 and enrolls 1,341 students in 4 schools (2024–25).

Where do Dakota Dunes kids go to high school?

Dakota Valley High School - 01 in North Sioux City, with 431 students; its own test results earn an A−.

What is Dakota Dunes’s graduation rate?

95–100% of the class of 2023 in Dakota Valley School District 61-8 graduated in four years, against 84% across South Dakota.

How much does Dakota Dunes spend per student?

$11,808 in Dakota Valley School District 61-8 (FY2024), against $13,040 across South Dakota. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Dakota Dunes families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Dakota Dunes → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within South Dakota. Stars are from neighbors.