Black Hawk Elementary - 03

Located at 7108 Seeaire St, in Black Hawk, South Dakota, Black Hawk Elementary - 03 is a mid-sized elementary-level community that educates 305 students (grades K through 5), part of Rapid City Area School District 51-4. Enrollment runs roughly 50% larger than the state mean of about 204.

Black Hawk Elementary - 03 is one of 26 schools operated by Rapid City Area School District 51-4, a district that hosts 12,610 students overall.

Demographically, Black Hawk Elementary - 03 logs that the largest single group is White, at 75% of enrollment. Other groups include 11% Hispanic, 9% multiracial, 5% Native American. By comparison, Meade County as a whole is about 86% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 15.0:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 15.4:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 34% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Black Hawk Elementary - 03 falls in the UNDERPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations residual. Given its student profile, a typical campus would land near 49.0%; this one comes in at 29.9%, -19.1 points off the demographic line.

In the broader community, census data for Meade County shows the typical household earns roughly $74,790 per year, roughly 28% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 4%. Across Meade County's 16 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,395 students), Black Hawk Elementary - 03 is one campus in the mix.

Stagebarn Middle School - 10 is the nearest neighboring public school, about 3.8 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around Black Hawk Elementary - 03. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Black Hawk Elementary - 03 at 5th of 6; the average score across the group is 42.2%.

The campus sits in a suburban setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 23%: 394 students in 2018 compared to 305 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment expanded from 4% to 11% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 16.2:1 in 2018 to 15.0:1 in 2025.

On this page, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.