Laura Wilder Elementary - 31

Set in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Laura Wilder Elementary - 31 is a heavily attended primary school, run under Sioux Falls School District 49-5. It teaches 447 students across grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 204 students per school, that is 119% bigger than typical.

Across the 44 schools in Sioux Falls School District 49-5 (25,060 students total), Laura Wilder Elementary - 31 accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Laura Wilder Elementary - 31 reports that the largest single group is White at 51%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school lists 15% Hispanic, 13% Black, 12% multiracial, 9% Native American. By comparison, Minnehaha County as a whole is about 80% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 30 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.8:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 15.4:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 67% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Minnehaha County (around 42%), the school's rate is north of typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Laura Wilder Elementary - 31 sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 35.7%; this one delivers 30.4%.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Minnehaha County) records that median household income runs about $76,880, about 35% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. In all, Minnehaha County runs 83 public schools (combined enrollment of about 34,919 students), of which Laura Wilder Elementary - 31 is one.

Nearest neighbor: Edison Middle School - 06, around 0.3 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, Laura Wilder Elementary - 31 comes 6th of 8 in the immediate cluster, behind the nearby-schools average of 49.2%.

The campus sits in an urban setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Laura Wilder Elementary - 31's enrollment has declined 16% since 2018, when it stood at 529 (now 447). The White share of enrollment ticked down from 62% to 51% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 15.9:1 in 2018 to 14.8:1 today.

On the community side, 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.