RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17

RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17 is one of the well-populated K-5 schools in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, overseen by Sioux Falls School District 49-5, with 846 students on its rolls from grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 204 students per school, that is 315% larger than typical.

Sioux Falls School District 49-5 runs 44 schools in total, collectively educating 25,060 students. RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17 is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17 reports that White students make up the majority at 64%. Other groups include 12% Hispanic, 10% multiracial, 9% Black, 3% Native American. That is considerably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 80%.

On the resource side, The school employs 49 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 17.4:1. The state averages around 15.4:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 38% of students at RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17 qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

With demographic context factored in, RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17 tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 47.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 53.5%.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Minnehaha County) shows that median household earnings sit near $76,880, roughly 35% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Minnehaha County's 83 public schools (combined enrollment of about 34,919 students), RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17 is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Tea Area Frontier Elementary - 05, around 1.1 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17 comes 4th of 6 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 52.9%.

RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17 operates from an inner-city location.

Looking at the recent track record. RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17's enrollment has shrank 13% since 2018, when it stood at 970 (now 846). The White share of enrollment ticked down from 80% to 64% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 18.9:1 in 2018 to 17.4:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.