South Dakota Department of Trans. Br. No. 14-133-170 · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0How is Prairie Center Township run?
Prairie Center Township’s town government spent $52,000 on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, about $283 per resident.
What stands out about how Prairie Center Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Vermillion School District 13-1
Prairie Center Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Fairview Township, Vermillion, Vermillion Township, Norway Township, Spirit Mound Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $11,960 per pupil, $6,414 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
South Dakota districts overall: 50% local, 31% state, 19% federal.
Beresford School District 61-2 · $13,173 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $283 per resident a year, or $0.78 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 96%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$283 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Prairie Center Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($283 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $293, and the middle half spent $142–$516. Prairie Center Township spent less than 52% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Prairie Center Township itself left out).
No trend yet
Prairie Center Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Prairie Center Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Prairie Center Township’s votes are counted by county
South Dakota reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Prairie Center Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Clay County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat52.0%2,944 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican45.5%2,574 votesOthers: 2.5% (139 votes).
Most votes in Clay County: Kamala D Harris
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Prairie Center Township lies in Clay County. Every 2024 race in Clay County is on the county’s page.
Clay County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Prairie Center Township.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2South Dakota HouseState representatives
- 3South Dakota SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of South Dakota
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Prairie Center Township compares with the towns next door
Prairie Center Township spent $283 per resident in 2022; the 4 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $25 to $670. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Garfield Township | $25 | — |
| Fairview Township | $171 | $1,464 |
| Spirit Mound Township | $586 | $3,048 |
| Spink Township | $670 | $2,709 |
| Prairie Center Township | $283 | — |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Prairie Center Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Prairie Center Township’s government
How much does Prairie Center Township spend per resident?
About $283 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $283 was less than 52% of 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Prairie Center Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Prairie Center Township yet.
How did Prairie Center Township vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Prairie Center Township alone. Clay County, where 100% of Prairie Center Township lies, voted Harris 52.0%, Trump 45.5% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Prairie Center Township?
0 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $2,548 (about $30,576 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Prairie Center Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 17 (Sydney Davis) and State House District 17 (Chris Kassin and William Shorma). The House district also covers 17 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Prairie Center Township’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →