Castlewood Elementary - 02

As a modestly sized K-5 school in Castlewood, South Dakota, Castlewood Elementary - 02 educates 140 students from grades pre-K through 5, part of Castlewood School District 28-1. Compared to the state average of about 204 students per school, that is 31% below typical.

Castlewood School District 28-1 runs 4 schools in total, collectively educating 345 students. Castlewood Elementary - 02 is one of those campuses.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Castlewood Elementary - 02 shows that 94% of students identify as White, making the school strongly White-majority; the rest looks like 6% Hispanic. Compared to Hamlin County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at school resources, Castlewood Elementary - 02 lists 11 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 13.0:1. The state averages around 15.4:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 26% of students at Castlewood Elementary - 02 qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Castlewood Elementary - 02 sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 52.2%; this one delivers 54.5%.

Around the school, the surrounding county (Hamlin County) logs that the typical household earns roughly $87,101 per year, about 25% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. Across Hamlin County's 10 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,533 students), Castlewood Elementary - 02 is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Castlewood High School - 01, around 0.0 miles off. Within five miles, there are 3 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Castlewood Elementary - 02 at 2nd of 4; the average score across the group is 45.2%.

Castlewood Elementary - 02 operates from an outlying location.

Looking at the recent track record. Castlewood Elementary - 02's enrollment has ticked down 18% since 2018, when it stood at 171 (now 140). Class-load math has tightened: from 16.2:1 in 2018 to 13.0:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.