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B+

Pierre School District 32-2

Public school districtGrades K–12Regional · 2 towns

Serves Pierre and Raber Township.

Pierre’s School Grade B+ better than 68% of South Dakota school districts

Students
2,749
Schools
5
Spent per student
$11,536
SD $13,040
Students per teacher
16:1
Free or reduced lunch
31%
Debt
$5.9M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Pierre School District 32-2

  • Its letter, B+: results better than 68% of South Dakota districts
  • Math proficiency 8 pts above the state
  • Graduation rate 8 pts above the state
  • Spends 12% less per student than the SD average
  • 16 students per teacher
  • Debt of $5.9M, about $2,148 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B+: better than 68% of the 147 South Dakota school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math above the state, 2021–22
B+
GraduationFour-year graduation well above the state, class of 2023
A−
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
B+Pierre 13,848Raber Township 31

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Pierre. Grade by grade →

K–53 elementary schoolsThis district
6–8Georgia Morse Middle School - 02This district
9–12T F Riggs High School - 01This district

Test scores vs. SD

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency50%
State average 42.2% · 1,459 students tested
Reading / language arts53%
State average 51% · 1,458 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)90–94%
State average 84% · 197 in the class

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$11,536 per student · 12% below SD
Spending
Classroom instruction 60%Support & administration 33%Other 7%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 49%State 42%Federal 9%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
2,766’20
2,798’21
2,762’22
2,688’23
2,749’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
White 66%American Indian/Alaska Native 15%Two or more races 12%Hispanic 5%Asian 1%Black <1%

Schools in the district

5 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with South Dakota’s other public schools.

Buchanan Elementary - 03
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Pierre
B+
432 students17:1
Kennedy Elementary - 08
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Pierre
B
413 students16:1
Jefferson Elementary - 06
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Pierre
C+
377 students13:1
Georgia Morse Middle School - 02
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Pierre
B−
672 students17:1
T F Riggs High School - 01
High · Grades 9–12 · Pierre
B
855 students18:1

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within South Dakota.