South Dakota schools ranked by test score
Latest SD Smarter Balanced year (2024-25). 220 schools with reported English Language Arts scores. State average: 50.4%.
| Rank | School | Level | English Language Arts | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Mount Vernon Elementary - 02 Mount Vernon · Mount Vernon School District 17-3 | Elementary | 61.5% | +11.1pp |
| 52 | Grass Ranch Colony Elementary - 13 Kimball · Kimball School District 07-2 | Elementary | 61.3% | +10.9pp |
| 53 | John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Elementary | 61.3% | +10.9pp |
| 54 | Timber Lake Elementary - 02 Timber Lake · Timber Lake School District 20-3 | Elementary | 61.1% | +10.7pp |
| 55 | Estelline Elementary - 02 Estelline · Estelline School District 28-2 | Elementary | 61.0% | +10.6pp |
| 56 | Sanborn Central Elementary - 06 Forestburg · Sanborn Central School District 55-5 | Elementary | 60.9% | +10.5pp |
| 57 | Discovery Elementary - 26 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Elementary | 60.5% | +10.1pp |
| 58 | Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02 De Smet · De Smet School District 38-2 | Elementary | 60.3% | +9.9pp |
| 59 | Sioux Valley Elementary - 02 Volga · Sioux Valley School District 05-5 | Elementary | 60.2% | +9.8pp |
| 60 | Frederick Area Elementary - 02 Frederick · Frederick Area School District 06-2 | Elementary | 60.0% | +9.6pp |
| 61 | Kadoka Elementary - 02 Kadoka · Kadoka Area School District 35-2 | Elementary | 60.0% | +9.6pp |
| 62 | Explorer Elementary - 04 Sioux Falls · Harrisburg School District 41-2 | Elementary | 59.9% | +9.5pp |
| 63 | Alcester-Hudson Elementary - 04 Alcester · Alcester-Hudson School District 61-1 | Elementary | 59.4% | +9.0pp |
| 64 | Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 North Sioux City · Dakota Valley School District 61-8 | Elementary | 59.4% | +9.0pp |
| 65 | Harvey Dunn Elementary - 54 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Elementary | 59.3% | +8.9pp |
| 66 | Tri-Valley Elementary in Colton - 02 Colton · Tri-Valley School District 49-6 | Elementary | 59.3% | +8.9pp |
| 67 | Gregory Elementary - 02 Gregory · Gregory School District 26-4 | Elementary | 58.7% | +8.3pp |
| 68 | Lake Preston Elementary - 02 Lake Preston · Lake Preston School District 38-3 | Elementary | 58.1% | +7.7pp |
| 69 | Creekside Elementary - 07 Spearfish · Spearfish School District 40-2 | Elementary | 57.9% | +7.5pp |
| 70 | Mountain View Elementary - 08 Spearfish · Spearfish School District 40-2 | Elementary | 57.9% | +7.5pp |
| 71 | West Elementary - 03 Spearfish · Spearfish School District 40-2 | Elementary | 57.9% | +7.5pp |
| 72 | Meadowbrook Elementary - 10 Rapid City · Rapid City Area School District 51-4 | Elementary | 57.8% | +7.4pp |
| 73 | Lincoln Elementary - 08 Aberdeen · Aberdeen School District 06-1 | Elementary | 57.6% | +7.2pp |
| 74 | Corral Drive Elementary - 21 Rapid City · Rapid City Area School District 51-4 | Elementary | 57.5% | +7.1pp |
| 75 | Kennedy Elementary - 08 Pierre · Pierre School District 32-2 | Elementary | 57.2% | +6.8pp |
| 76 | Eureka Elementary - 02 Eureka · Eureka School District 44-1 | Elementary | 57.1% | +6.7pp |
| 77 | Lemmon Elementary - 02 Lemmon · Lemmon School District 52-4 | Elementary | 56.9% | +6.5pp |
| 78 | Hoven Elementary - 02 Hoven · Hoven School District 53-2 | Elementary | 56.8% | +6.4pp |
| 79 | Madison Elementary - 07 Madison · Madison Central School District 39-2 | Elementary | 56.6% | +6.2pp |
| 80 | Wall Elementary - 02 Wall · Wall School District 51-5 | Elementary | 56.6% | +6.2pp |
| 81 | Pinedale Elementary - 11 Rapid City · Rapid City Area School District 51-4 | Elementary | 56.5% | +6.1pp |
| 82 | Hill City Elementary - 02 Hill City · Hill City School District 51-2 | Elementary | 56.1% | +5.7pp |
| 83 | Clark Elementary - 02 Clark · Clark School District 12-2 | Elementary | 55.9% | +5.5pp |
| 84 | West Central Hartford Elementary - 05 Hartford · West Central School District 49-7 | Elementary | 55.4% | +5.0pp |
| 85 | West Central Humboldt Elementary - 02 Humboldt · West Central School District 49-7 | Elementary | 55.4% | +5.0pp |
| 86 | Northwestern Elementary - 04 Mellette · Northwestern Area School District 56-7 | Elementary | 55.3% | +4.9pp |
| 87 | Chester Elementary -02 Chester · Chester Area School District 39-1 | Elementary | 54.8% | +4.4pp |
| 88 | Parkston Elementary - 02 Parkston · Parkston School District 33-3 | Elementary | 54.6% | +4.2pp |
| 89 | Endeavor Elementary - 07 Sioux Falls · Harrisburg School District 41-2 | Elementary | 54.0% | +3.6pp |
| 90 | Jefferson Elementary - 06 Pierre · Pierre School District 32-2 | Elementary | 53.9% | +3.5pp |
| 91 | RF Pettigrew Elementary - 17 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Elementary | 53.6% | +3.2pp |
| 92 | Hermosa Elementary - 04 Hermosa · Custer School District 16-1 | Elementary | 53.5% | +3.1pp |
| 93 | Freeman Davis Elementary - 03 Mobridge · Mobridge-Pollock School District 62-6 | Elementary | 52.9% | +2.5pp |
| 94 | Mobridge Upper Elementary - 04 Mobridge · Mobridge-Pollock School District 62-6 | Elementary | 52.9% | +2.5pp |
| 95 | Piedmont Valley Elementary - 05 Piedmont · Meade School District 46-1 | Elementary | 52.4% | +2.0pp |
| 96 | Tri-Valley Elementary in Crooks - 04 Crooks · Tri-Valley School District 49-6 | Elementary | 52.1% | +1.7pp |
| 97 | Colman Elementary - 03 Colman · Colman-Egan School District 50-5 | Elementary | 52.0% | +1.6pp |
| 98 | Hitchcock-Tulare Elementary - 05 Hitchcock · Hitchcock Tulare School District 56-6 | Elementary | 51.9% | +1.5pp |
| 99 | Dakota Valley Elementary - 02 North Sioux City · Dakota Valley School District 61-8 | Elementary | 51.8% | +1.4pp |
| 100 | Plankinton Elementary - 02 Plankinton · Plankinton School District 01-1 | Elementary | 51.8% | +1.4pp |
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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.