South Dakota schools ranked by test score
Latest SD Smarter Balanced year (2024-25). 362 schools with reported English Language Arts scores. State average: 50.4%.
| Rank | School | Level | English Language Arts | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Challenge Center - 51 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Elementary | 97.9% | +47.5pp |
| 2 | Warner Elementary - 02 Warner · Warner School District 06-5 | Elementary | 87.3% | +36.9pp |
| 3 | Fred Assam Elementary - 06 Sioux Falls · Brandon Valley School District 49-2 | Elementary | 85.7% | +35.3pp |
| 4 | Faulkton Elementary - 02 Faulkton · Faulkton Area Schools 24-4 | Elementary | 82.5% | +32.1pp |
| 5 | Herreid Middle School - 03 Herreid · Herreid School District 10-1 | Middle | 81.3% | +30.9pp |
| 6 | Adventure Elementary - 10 Sioux Falls · Harrisburg School District 41-2 | Elementary | 81.0% | +30.6pp |
| 7 | Inspiration Elementary - 08 Sioux Falls · Brandon Valley School District 49-2 | Elementary | 80.5% | +30.1pp |
| 8 | Ipswich Middle School - 04 Ipswich · Ipswich Public School District 22-6 | Middle | 77.4% | +27.0pp |
| 9 | Hanson Middle School - 02 Alexandria · Hanson School District 30-1 | Middle | 76.5% | +26.1pp |
| 10 | Warner Middle School - 03 Warner · Warner School District 06-5 | Middle | 75.9% | +25.5pp |
| 11 | Lake Preston Middle School - 03 Lake Preston · Lake Preston School District 38-3 | Middle | 75.8% | +25.4pp |
| 12 | Brandon Valley Intermediate - 07 Brandon · Brandon Valley School District 49-2 | Middle | 74.7% | +24.3pp |
| 13 | Brandon Valley Middle School - 02 Brandon · Brandon Valley School District 49-2 | Middle | 73.6% | +23.2pp |
| 14 | Burke Elementary - 02 Burke · Burke School District 26-2 | Elementary | 73.2% | +22.8pp |
| 15 | Lennox Jr. High - 08 Lennox · Lennox School District 41-4 | Middle | 73.2% | +22.8pp |
| 16 | Selby Middle School - 03 Selby · Selby Area School District 62-5 | Middle | 72.5% | +22.1pp |
| 17 | Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01 Tea · Tea Area School District 41-5 | Elementary | 72.0% | +21.6pp |
| 18 | Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 North Sioux City · Dakota Valley School District 61-8 | Middle | 71.5% | +21.1pp |
| 19 | Arlington Elementary - 02 Arlington · Arlington School District 38-1 | Elementary | 71.4% | +21.0pp |
| 20 | Avon Elementary - 02 Avon · Avon School District 04-1 | Elementary | 71.4% | +21.0pp |
| 21 | Mount Vernon Middle School - 03 Mount Vernon · Mount Vernon School District 17-3 | Middle | 71.4% | +21.0pp |
| 22 | Dell Rapids Middle School - 03 Dell Rapids · Dell Rapids School District 49-3 | Middle | 70.7% | +20.3pp |
| 23 | Whitewood Elementary - 04 Whitewood · Meade School District 46-1 | Elementary | 70.6% | +20.2pp |
| 24 | All City Elementary - 50 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Elementary | 70.4% | +20.0pp |
| 25 | Robert Bennis Elementary - 05 Brandon · Brandon Valley School District 49-2 | Elementary | 70.4% | +20.0pp |
| 26 | Tyndall Elementary - 04 Tyndall · Bon Homme School District 04-2 | Elementary | 69.7% | +19.3pp |
| 27 | Lennox Elementary - 02 Lennox · Lennox School District 41-4 | Elementary | 69.6% | +19.2pp |
| 28 | Canistota Elementary - 02 Canistota · Canistota School District 43-1 | Elementary | 69.5% | +19.1pp |
| 29 | Harrisburg North Middle School - 08 Sioux Falls · Harrisburg School District 41-2 | Middle | 69.5% | +19.1pp |
| 30 | Lennox Intermediate - 09 Lennox · Lennox School District 41-4 | Middle | 69.4% | +19.0pp |
| 31 | Ethan Jr. High - 03 Ethan · Ethan School District 17-1 | Middle | 69.2% | +18.8pp |
| 32 | Groton Area Elementary - 02 Groton · Groton Area School District 06-6 | Elementary | 69.2% | +18.8pp |
| 33 | Sonia Sotomayor Elementary - 65 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Elementary | 68.8% | +18.4pp |
| 34 | Montrose Elementary - 02 Montrose · Montrose School District 43-2 | Elementary | 68.6% | +18.2pp |
| 35 | Langford Area Elementary - 02 Langford · Langford Area School District 45-5 | Elementary | 68.5% | +18.1pp |
| 36 | Southwest Middle School - 38 Rapid City · Rapid City Area School District 51-4 | Middle | 68.5% | +18.1pp |
| 37 | Kadoka Middle School - 03 Kadoka · Kadoka Area School District 35-2 | Middle | 68.1% | +17.7pp |
| 38 | Centerville Elementary - 02 Centerville · Centerville School District 60-1 | Elementary | 67.9% | +17.5pp |
| 39 | De Smet Middle School - 03 De Smet · De Smet School District 38-2 | Middle | 67.8% | +17.4pp |
| 40 | Corsica-Stickney Elementary - 02 Stickney · Corsica-Stickney 21-3 | Elementary | 67.7% | +17.3pp |
| 41 | Hanson Elementary - 06 Alexandria · Hanson School District 30-1 | Elementary | 67.7% | +17.3pp |
| 42 | Sully Buttes Middle School - 06 Onida · Agar-Blunt-Onida School District 58-3 | Middle | 67.7% | +17.3pp |
| 43 | Brandon Elementary - 03 Brandon · Brandon Valley School District 49-2 | Elementary | 67.5% | +17.1pp |
| 44 | Selby Elementary - 02 Selby · Selby Area School District 62-5 | Elementary | 67.4% | +17.0pp |
| 45 | Worthing Elementary - 05 Worthing · Lennox School District 41-4 | Elementary | 67.4% | +17.0pp |
| 46 | Castlewood Elementary - 02 Castlewood · Castlewood School District 28-1 | Elementary | 67.2% | +16.8pp |
| 47 | Miller Jr. High - 04 Miller · Miller School District 29-4 | Middle | 67.1% | +16.7pp |
| 48 | Highmore Jr. High - 03 Highmore · Highmore-Harrold School District 34-2 | Middle | 66.7% | +16.3pp |
| 49 | Northwestern Middle School - 02 Mellette · Northwestern Area School District 56-7 | Middle | 66.7% | +16.3pp |
| 50 | Wessington Springs Elementary - 02 Wessington Springs · Wessington Springs School District 36-2 | Elementary | 66.2% | +15.8pp |
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About this ranking
Schools are ranked by the percentage of students who scored at or above the SD Smarter Balanced % Proficient threshold on the latest available SD Smarter Balanced English Language Arts test (school year 2024-25). A higher percentage is better.
Only public schools with a reasonable cohort size are included (at least 50 total students enrolled, since the source file does not include per-subject student counts), so very small programs and special-purpose centers are filtered out.
The state average shown above is enrollment-weighted: we multiply each school's score by how many of its students tested, sum those across every public school in South Dakota, and divide by the total students tested. This way a big school counts more than a tiny one in the typical-student average.