Hillcrest Elementary - 04

Hillcrest Elementary - 04 is a substantial elementary campus in Brookings, South Dakota, run under Brookings School District 05-1. The school teaches 316 students in grades pre-K through 3. Compared to the state average of about 204 students per school, that is 55% larger than typical.

Brookings School District 05-1 runs 8 schools in total, collectively educating 3,546 students. Hillcrest Elementary - 04 is one of those campuses.

Demographically, Hillcrest Elementary - 04 logs that the largest single group is White, at 74% of enrollment. Other groups include 9% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 4% Asian, 3% Black. The wider county runs roughly 88% White, putting the school's mix considerably less White than the area baseline.

On the resource side, The school currently runs with 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 13.5:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.4:1, putting Hillcrest Elementary - 04 tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 26% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Hillcrest Elementary - 04 sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 52.3%; this one delivers 41.7%.

Around the school, Brookings County reports that median household earnings sit near $70,064, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 5%. Across Brookings County's 21 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,921 students), Hillcrest Elementary - 04 is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Brookings High School - 01, around 0.7 miles off. 7 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Hillcrest Elementary - 04 ranks 5th on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 50.8%.

The school occupies a small-town site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Hillcrest Elementary - 04 has grew 14%, going from 277 students in 2018 to 316 in 2025. Hispanic enrollment moved from 5% to 9% across the same window.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.