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B+

Spearfish School District 40-2

Public school districtGrades K–12Regional · 2 towns

Serves Spearfish and St. Onge Township.

Spearfish’s School Grade B+ better than 69% of South Dakota school districts

Students
2,398
Schools
7
Spent per student
$10,621
SD $13,040
Students per teacher
14:1
Free or reduced lunch
19%
Debt
$14.6M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Spearfish School District 40-2

  • Its letter, B+: results better than 69% of South Dakota districts
  • Math proficiency 7 pts above the state
  • Graduation rate 8 pts above the state
  • Spends 19% less per student than the SD average
  • 14 students per teacher
  • Debt of $14.6M, about $6,074 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B+: better than 69% 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 well 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+Spearfish 14,154St. Onge Township 377

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Spearfish. Grade by grade →

KMountain View Elementary - 08This district
3–5Creekside Elementary - 07This district
6–8Spearfish Middle School - 05This district
9–12Spearfish High School - 01This district

Test scores vs. SD

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency49%
State average 42.2% · 1,281 students tested
Reading / language arts55%
State average 51% · 1,281 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)90–94%
State average 84% · 174 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
$10,621 per student · 19% below SD
Spending
Classroom instruction 65%Support & administration 31%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 63%State 27%Federal 9%

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

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

Enrollment over time
2,323’20
2,378’21
2,438’22
2,402’23
2,398’24

Up 3.2% since 2020–21.

Students
White 86%Two or more races 5%Hispanic 5%American Indian/Alaska Native 3%Asian 1%Black <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

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

Mountain View Elementary - 08
Elementary · Grades K · Spearfish
168 students12:1
West Elementary - 03
Elementary · Grades 1–2 · Spearfish
322 students11:1
Creekside Elementary - 07
Elementary · Grades 3–5 · Spearfish
B+
553 students15:1
Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 09
Middle · Grades 4–8 · Spearfish
2 students1:1
Spearfish Middle School - 05
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Spearfish
C+
545 students15:1
Spearfish High School - 01
High · Grades 9–12 · Spearfish
B
787 students17:1
Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 10
High · Grades 9–12 · Spearfish
21 students7:1

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.