Bison High School - 01

Set in Bison, South Dakota, Bison High School - 01 is an one-room-style four-year high school, operated by Bison School District 52-1. It works with 52 students across grades 9 through 12. By comparison, South Dakota's public schools average about 225 students each, so Bison High School - 01 sits 77% smaller than that benchmark.

Bison High School - 01 is one of 3 schools operated by Bison School District 52-1, a district that educates 135 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Bison High School - 01 shows that 92% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority. Other groups include 4% Hispanic, 4% Native American. Compared to Perkins County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 6 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 8.8:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 20.6:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 29% of students at Bison High School - 01 qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Perkins County) reports that median household income runs about $66,908, roughly 25% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Bison High School - 01 is one of 6 public schools in Perkins County (combined enrollment of about 424 students).

The closest other public school is Bison Elementary - 02, roughly 0.0 miles away. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools.

The campus sits in an outlying setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count grew 18%: 44 students in 2018 compared to 52 in 2025. Over the same period, the Asian share declined from 7% to 0%. Class-load math has widened: from 7.7:1 in 2018 to 8.8:1 in 2025.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.