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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | C C Lee Elementary - 05 Aberdeen · Aberdeen School District 06-1 | Elementary | 66.0% | +15.6pp |
| 52 | Custer Jr. High - 05 Custer · Custer School District 16-1 | Middle | 66.0% | +15.6pp |
| 53 | Webster Area Middle School - 02 Webster · Webster Area School District 18-5 | Middle | 65.7% | +15.3pp |
| 54 | Journey Elementary - 05 Sioux Falls · Harrisburg School District 41-2 | Elementary | 65.5% | +15.1pp |
| 55 | Faulkton Middle School - 08 Faulkton · Faulkton Area Schools 24-4 | Middle | 65.4% | +15.0pp |
| 56 | Gettysburg Elementary - 02 Gettysburg · Gettysburg School District 53-1 | Elementary | 65.4% | +15.0pp |
| 57 | Montrose Middle School - 03 Montrose · Montrose School District 43-2 | Middle | 65.4% | +15.0pp |
| 58 | Timber Lake Middle School - 03 Timber Lake · Timber Lake School District 20-3 | Middle | 65.2% | +14.8pp |
| 59 | Ipswich Elementary - 02 Ipswich · Ipswich Public School District 22-6 | Elementary | 64.9% | +14.5pp |
| 60 | Miller Elementary - 02 Miller · Miller School District 29-4 | Elementary | 64.9% | +14.5pp |
| 61 | Platte - Geddes Elementary - 02 Platte · Platte - Geddes School District 11-5 | Elementary | 64.8% | +14.4pp |
| 62 | Scotland Elementary - 02 Scotland · Scotland School District 04-3 | Elementary | 64.7% | +14.3pp |
| 63 | Custer Elementary - 02 Custer · Custer School District 16-1 | Elementary | 64.4% | +14.0pp |
| 64 | Buchanan Elementary - 03 Pierre · Pierre School District 32-2 | Elementary | 64.3% | +13.9pp |
| 65 | Chester Middle School - 03 Chester · Chester Area School District 39-1 | Middle | 64.2% | +13.8pp |
| 66 | Milbank Middle School - 02 Milbank · Milbank School District 25-4 | Middle | 64.2% | +13.8pp |
| 67 | Dell Rapids Elementary - 02 Dell Rapids · Dell Rapids School District 49-3 | Elementary | 64.1% | +13.7pp |
| 68 | Milbank Elementary - 03 Milbank · Milbank School District 25-4 | Elementary | 64.1% | +13.7pp |
| 69 | Beadle Elementary - 03 Yankton · Yankton School District 63-3 | Elementary | 63.6% | +13.2pp |
| 70 | Wall Middle School - 06 Wall · Wall School District 51-5 | Middle | 63.6% | +13.2pp |
| 71 | Watertown Middle School - 02 Watertown · Watertown School District 14-4 | Middle | 63.6% | +13.2pp |
| 72 | Howard Jr. High - 05 Howard · Howard School District 48-3 | Middle | 63.4% | +13.0pp |
| 73 | Holgate Middle School - 02 Aberdeen · Aberdeen School District 06-1 | Middle | 63.2% | +12.8pp |
| 74 | Jones County Middle School - 04 Murdo · Jones County School District 37-3 | Middle | 63.0% | +12.6pp |
| 75 | Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 Harrisburg · Harrisburg School District 41-2 | Middle | 62.6% | +12.2pp |
| 76 | Baltic Elementary - 02 Baltic · Baltic School District 49-1 | Elementary | 62.4% | +12.0pp |
| 77 | Ethan Elementary - 02 Ethan · Ethan School District 17-1 | Elementary | 62.4% | +12.0pp |
| 78 | Patrick Henry Middle School - 07 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Middle | 62.3% | +11.9pp |
| 79 | Tea Area Venture Elementary - 06 Tea · Tea Area School District 41-5 | Elementary | 62.3% | +11.9pp |
| 80 | Dakota Prairie Elementary - 07 Brookings · Brookings School District 05-1 | Elementary | 62.2% | +11.8pp |
| 81 | John Harris Elementary - 23 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Elementary | 62.2% | +11.8pp |
| 82 | Beresford Elementary - 02 Beresford · Beresford School District 61-2 | Elementary | 62.0% | +11.6pp |
| 83 | Howard Elementary - 02 Howard · Howard School District 48-3 | Elementary | 62.0% | +11.6pp |
| 84 | Memorial Middle School - 04 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Middle | 61.9% | +11.5pp |
| 85 | Baltic Middle School - 03 Baltic · Baltic School District 49-1 | Middle | 61.7% | +11.3pp |
| 86 | Hamlin Elementary - 09 Hayti · Hamlin School District 28-3 | Elementary | 61.7% | +11.3pp |
| 87 | Webster Area Elementary - 03 Webster · Webster Area School District 18-5 | Elementary | 61.7% | +11.3pp |
| 88 | Bridgewater-Emery Elementary - 02 Bridgewater · Bridgewater-Emery 30-3 | Elementary | 61.5% | +11.1pp |
| 89 | Mount Vernon Elementary - 02 Mount Vernon · Mount Vernon School District 17-3 | Elementary | 61.5% | +11.1pp |
| 90 | Centerville Middle School - 03 Centerville · Centerville School District 60-1 | Middle | 61.4% | +11.0pp |
| 91 | Grass Ranch Colony Elementary - 13 Kimball · Kimball School District 07-2 | Elementary | 61.3% | +10.9pp |
| 92 | John F. Kennedy Elementary - 57 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Elementary | 61.3% | +10.9pp |
| 93 | Gettysburg Middle School - 03 Gettysburg · Gettysburg School District 53-1 | Middle | 61.1% | +10.7pp |
| 94 | Timber Lake Elementary - 02 Timber Lake · Timber Lake School District 20-3 | Elementary | 61.1% | +10.7pp |
| 95 | Estelline Elementary - 02 Estelline · Estelline School District 28-2 | Elementary | 61.0% | +10.6pp |
| 96 | Harding County Middle School - 03 Buffalo · Harding County School District 31-1 | Middle | 61.0% | +10.6pp |
| 97 | Sanborn Central Elementary - 06 Forestburg · Sanborn Central School District 55-5 | Elementary | 60.9% | +10.5pp |
| 98 | Discovery Elementary - 26 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Elementary | 60.5% | +10.1pp |
| 99 | Canton Middle School - 04 Canton · Canton School District 41-1 | Middle | 60.4% | +10.0pp |
| 100 | Lemmon Jr. High - 06 Lemmon · Lemmon School District 52-4 | Middle | 60.4% | +10.0pp |
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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.