Enrollment
296
Elementary
DISTRICT 238 · STATE 204
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WATERTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT 14-4·NCES 467662000713
McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06
5 12th St SW, Watertown, SD 57201 · (605) 882-6350 · Codington County
GRADES PK–KGELEMENTARY33-TOWNREGULAR SCHOOL296 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 59% of South Dakota public elementary schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded South Dakota public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
13.8:1
22 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.2:1 · STATE 15.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
38%
113 students
DISTRICT 39% · STATE 42%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 71 | 24% |
| Kindergarten | 225 | 76% |
Student demographics
38%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 35% · STATE 53% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
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START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
SD Smarter Balanced 2023-24 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
43.4%
SD avg 49.6% . -11.2pp since 2022
Math
59.2%
SD avg 46.7% . -10.9pp since 2022
What this means: On the SD Smarter Balanced, South Dakota's statewide test, about 43 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 59 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all South Dakota schools, those numbers are about 50 and 47. Reading and writing scores are down about 11 points since 2022, while math scores are down about 11 points.
SD Smarter Balanced results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 43.4% | 59.2% |
| 2022-23 | 54.6% | 70.1% |
% Proficient, all students and all tested grades.
Source: SD Smarter Balanced. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Schools most like McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 this school | 296 | 38.2% | N/A |
| Stewart Elementary - 05 Yankton | 271 | 38.0% | 45.6% |
| Hot Springs Elementary - 02 Hot Springs | 306 | 35.6% | 38.0% |
| Lincoln Elementary - 05 Watertown | 361 | 37.1% | 61.7% |
| Black Hawk Elementary - 03 Black Hawk | 305 | 34.1% | 29.9% |
| L. B. Williams Elementary - 03 Mitchell | 438 | 41.3% | 46.3% |
Matched among South Dakota elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In South Dakota | In Codington County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 59.2% | #67 of 199 ▼ 39 | #1 of 7 ▲ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 43.4% | #132 of 202 ▼ 51 | #4 of 7 ▼ 1 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 296 | #96 of 331 | #3 of 8 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.8:1 | #63 of 131 | N/A |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 38.5% | #73 of 131 | N/A |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 38.2% | #89 of 209 | #4 of 7 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +18.9% | #8 of 36 | N/A |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
296
+50 (+20%) vs 2020
-12% since 1990-91, when it was 338
Student : Teacher
13.8:1
was 12.9:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 296 | 21.5 | 13.8:1 | 38% (113) |
| 2023-24 | 255 | 21.8 | 11.7:1 | 46% (118) |
| 2022-23 | 234 | 18.6 | 12.6:1 | 53% (123) |
| 2020-21 | 246 | 19 | 12.9:1 | 67% (164) |
| 2017-18 | 249 | 16.4 | 15.2:1 | 74% (184) |
| 2015-16 | 376 | 22 | 17.1:1 | 70% (263) |
| 2010-11 | 335 | 21 | 15.9:1 | 60% (200) |
| 2000-01 | 312 | 19 | 16.4:1 | 49% (152) |
| 1990-91 | 338 | 15 | 22.5:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06.
Since 2017-18: students up 19% (249 to 296); teachers up 31% (16.4 to 21.5).
About McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06
McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 is a public medium-sized elementary school in Watertown, South Dakota. The school's enrollment of 296 students covers pre-K through kindergarten. For comparison, elementary schools in South Dakota average about 204 students.
McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 reports to Watertown School District 14-4, which has 9 schools and 3,754 students.
McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06's enrollment is 77% White. Other groups include 11% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, and 3% Native American. By comparison, Codington County residents are about 91% White. By the diversity index, McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 comes in at 38%.
The ratio of students to teachers is 13.8:1, with 21.5 full-time-equivalent teachers on staff. The 15.4:1 average for elementary schools in South Dakota is higher than this school's figure. Lunch subsidy eligibility at McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 is 38%. Across public schools in Codington County, the average is about the same, 36%.
Measured against South Dakota public elementary schools, McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 receives a B. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
In the county around the school, Codington County, median household income is about $72,727, 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 is among the 18 public schools in Codington County.
Mellette Elementary - 07 is located about 0.9 miles from McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06. Within five miles are 7 other public schools.
The NCES locale for McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 is Town: Remote, which covers schools in a town far from an urbanized area.
From 2020-21 to 2024-25, McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 went from 246 students to 296.
Posts about sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater are welcome on this page. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Codington County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
28,767
Census ACS
Median income
$72,727
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
21%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
5%
Below federal line
Schools in county
18
4,561 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Watertown School District 14-4
- Watertown High School - 01High · 1,222 students
- Watertown Middle School - 02Middle · 575 students
- Watertown Intermediate School - 13Middle · 532 students
- Lincoln Elementary - 05Elementary · 361 students
- Jefferson Elementary - 09Elementary · 333 students
- Mellette Elementary - 07Elementary · 267 students
Other schools in Watertown
- Watertown High School - 01High · 1,222 students
- Watertown Middle School - 02Middle · 575 students
- Watertown Intermediate School - 13Middle · 532 students
- Lincoln Elementary - 05Elementary · 361 students
- Jefferson Elementary - 09Elementary · 333 students
- Mellette Elementary - 07Elementary · 267 students
Nearby schools
- Mellette Elementary - 070.9 mi · 267
- Roosevelt Elementary - 081.2 mi · 148
- Jefferson Elementary - 091.7 mi · 333
- Watertown High School - 011.8 mi · 1,222
- Watertown Intermediate School - 131.9 mi · 532
- Lincoln Elementary - 052.2 mi · 361
Frequently asked questions
About McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06How large is McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06?
McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 enrolls approximately 296 students in grades PK-KG.
What grades does McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 serve?
McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 serves grades PK-KG.
How many teachers does McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 have?
McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 employs 22 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 13.8:1.
What is the student diversity at McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06?
Student demographics at McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 are roughly 77% White, 11% Hispanic, 1% Black, 2% Asian, 6% Two or more.
Who oversees McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06?
McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06 is overseen by Watertown School District 14-4 in Codington County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.