Norris Elementary - 08

Norris Elementary - 08, a minimally staffed elementary-level community in Norris, South Dakota, operated by White River School District 47-1, educates 43 students, covering grades K through 5. By comparison, South Dakota's public schools average about 204 students each, so Norris Elementary - 08 sits 79% leaner than that benchmark.

Norris Elementary - 08 is one of 4 schools operated by White River School District 47-1, a district that enrolls 420 students overall.

On demographics, Norris Elementary - 08 lists that nearly all students (95%) are Native American; the rest comes out to 2% Hispanic, 2% Pacific Islander.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, Norris Elementary - 08 has 5 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 8.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.4:1, putting Norris Elementary - 08 tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 93% of students at Norris Elementary - 08 qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

Around the school, census data for Mellette County shows median household income runs about $54,076, roughly 19% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 28%. Across Mellette County's 5 public schools (combined enrollment of about 420 students), Norris Elementary - 08 is one campus in the mix.

He Dog Elementary - 05 is the nearest neighboring public school, about 13.9 miles from this campus.

The campus sits in a rural setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 9%: 47 students in 2018 compared to 43 in 2025. Class-load math has widened: from 7.0:1 in 2018 to 8.6:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the feed for Norris Elementary - 08 typically covers sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.