Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04

Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 is one of the mid-tier elementary-level communitys in North Sioux City, South Dakota, one of the schools within Dakota Valley School District 61-8, with 179 students on its rolls from grades 4 through 5.

Within Dakota Valley School District 61-8, which oversees 4 schools and 1,341 students, Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 shows that White students make up the majority at 71%. The remainder comes out to 15% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 3% Native American, 2% Black. By comparison, Union County as a whole is about 90% White, so the school skews considerably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, The school currently runs with 13 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.0:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 15.4:1 average. An estimated 16% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

After controlling for student poverty, Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 56.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 52.6%.

In the broader community, Union County reports that the typical household earns roughly $89,636 per year, roughly 37% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 4%. Across Union County's 14 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,037 students), Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Dakota Valley High School - 01, around 0.0 miles off. Within five miles, there are 6 other public schools. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 ranks 6th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 59.1%.

The school occupies a bedroom-community site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 16%: 213 students in 2018 compared to 179 in 2025. The White share of enrollment declined from 85% to 71% over that span. Class-load math has grew: from 12.8:1 in 2018 to 14.0:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the feed for Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.