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A−

Tea Area School District 41-5

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 2 towns

Serves Tea and Delapre Township, and parts of Wayne Township and Perry Township.

Tea’s School Grade A− better than 75% of South Dakota school districts

Students
2,509
Schools
5
Spent per student
$10,166
SD $13,040
Students per teacher
17:1
Free or reduced lunch
21%
Debt
$84.6M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Tea Area School District 41-5

  • Its letter, A−: results better than 76% of South Dakota districts
  • Math proficiency 10 pts above the state
  • Reading proficiency 10 pts above the state
  • Graduation rate 8 pts above the state
  • Spends 22% less per student than the SD average
  • 17 students per teacher
  • Enrollment up 22.7% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $84.6M, about $33,709 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

A−: better than 76% 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
A−
GraduationFour-year graduation well above the state, class of 2023
A−
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
A−Tea 8,019A−Delapre Township 2,053

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Tea. Grade by grade →

K–52 elementary schoolsThis district
6–8Tea Area Middle School - 02This district
9–12Tea Area High School - 03This district

Test scores vs. SD

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency52%
State average 42.2% · 1,178 students tested
Reading / language arts61%
State average 51% · 1,179 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)90–94%
State average 84% · 117 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
$10,166 per student · 22% below SD
Spending
Classroom instruction 55%Support & administration 39%Other 6%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 50%State 45%Federal 4%

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

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

Enrollment over time
2,045’20
2,230’21
2,362’22
2,408’23
2,509’24

Up 22.7% since 2020–21.

Students
White 80%Hispanic 7%Two or more races 6%Black 4%Asian 1%American Indian/Alaska Native 1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <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.

Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Tea
A
538 students17:1
Tea Area Venture Elementary - 06
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Tea
A
379 students15:1
Tea Area Frontier Elementary - 05
Elementary · Grades K–5 · Sioux Falls
B+
292 students14:1
Tea Area Middle School - 02
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Tea
B−
583 students19:1
Tea Area High School - 03
High · Grades 9–12 · Tea
A
717 students20:1

Left off: 1 school reporting no students for 2024–25.

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Lennox School District 41-4Germantown Township, Grant Township, Home Township
$10,855per student
Harrisburg School District 41-2Harrisburg, La Valley Township, Springdale Township
$11,823per student
Canton School District 41-1La Valley Township, Springdale Township
$12,233per student
Sioux Falls School District 49-5Sioux Falls
$12,316per student

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.