How is Preston Township run?
Preston Township’s town government spent $61,000 on day-to-day services in the year to February 28, 2022, about $332 per resident.
What stands out about how Preston Township is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
Estelline School District 28-2
Preston Township’s K–12 school district, shared with Estelline, Estelline Township, Grange Township, Hidewood Township, Eureka Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,611 per pupil, $9,222 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.
Sioux Valley School District 05-5 · $11,650 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $332 per resident a year, or $0.91 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: roads & transportation, at 48%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$332 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar towns
Preston Township’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($332 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 $292, and the middle half spent $142–$516. Preston Township spent more than 56% 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; Preston Township itself left out).
No trend yet
Preston Township reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
Who’s in charge in Preston Township
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Preston 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 Preston Township alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Brookings County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican57.4%8,575 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat40.0%5,978 votesOthers: 2.6% (386 votes).
Most votes in Brookings County: Donald J Trump
South Dakota: Trump 63.4%, Harris 34.2%
100% of Preston Township lies in Brookings County. Every 2024 race in Brookings County is on the county’s page.
Brookings 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 Preston 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 Preston Township compares with the towns next door
Preston Township spent $332 per resident in 2022; the neighbor that reported 2022 spent $205. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Estelline Township | $205 | $3,357 |
| Laketon Township | estimate | $2,300 |
| Eureka Township | estimate | $2,167 |
| Oakwood Township | estimate | $2,718 |
| Preston Township | $332 | — |
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 Preston Township’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Preston Township’s government
How much does Preston Township spend per resident?
About $332 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 $332 was more than 56% of 395 South Dakota towns and townships of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
Who runs Preston Township’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Preston Township yet.
How did Preston Township vote in 2024?
South Dakota counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Preston Township alone. Brookings County, where 100% of Preston Township lies, voted Trump 57.4%, Harris 40.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Preston Township?
0 full-time and 5 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $524 (about $6,288 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Preston Township in the state legislature?
State Senate District 8 (Casey Crabtree) and State House District 8 (Tim Reisch and Tim Walburg). The House district also covers 85 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Preston 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 →