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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02 De Smet · De Smet School District 38-2 | Elementary | 60.3% | +9.9pp |
| 102 | Sioux Valley Elementary - 02 Volga · Sioux Valley School District 05-5 | Elementary | 60.2% | +9.8pp |
| 103 | Frederick Area Elementary - 02 Frederick · Frederick Area School District 06-2 | Elementary | 60.0% | +9.6pp |
| 104 | Kadoka Elementary - 02 Kadoka · Kadoka Area School District 35-2 | Elementary | 60.0% | +9.6pp |
| 105 | Explorer Elementary - 04 Sioux Falls · Harrisburg School District 41-2 | Elementary | 59.9% | +9.5pp |
| 106 | Alcester-Hudson Elementary - 04 Alcester · Alcester-Hudson School District 61-1 | Elementary | 59.4% | +9.0pp |
| 107 | Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 North Sioux City · Dakota Valley School District 61-8 | Elementary | 59.4% | +9.0pp |
| 108 | Sioux Valley Middle School - 04 Volga · Sioux Valley School District 05-5 | Middle | 59.4% | +9.0pp |
| 109 | Vermillion Middle School - 02 Vermillion · Vermillion School District 13-1 | Middle | 59.4% | +9.0pp |
| 110 | Harvey Dunn Elementary - 54 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Elementary | 59.3% | +8.9pp |
| 111 | Madison Middle School - 02 Madison · Madison Central School District 39-2 | Middle | 59.3% | +8.9pp |
| 112 | Tri-Valley Elementary in Colton - 02 Colton · Tri-Valley School District 49-6 | Elementary | 59.3% | +8.9pp |
| 113 | Ben Reifel Middle School - 68 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Middle | 59.0% | +8.6pp |
| 114 | Bridgewater-Emery Middle School - 04 Emery · Bridgewater-Emery 30-3 | Middle | 58.8% | +8.4pp |
| 115 | Mobridge Middle School - 02 Mobridge · Mobridge-Pollock School District 62-6 | Middle | 58.8% | +8.4pp |
| 116 | Gregory Elementary - 02 Gregory · Gregory School District 26-4 | Elementary | 58.7% | +8.3pp |
| 117 | Irene - Wakonda Jr. High - 04 Irene · Irene - Wakonda School District 13-3 | Middle | 58.7% | +8.3pp |
| 118 | Watertown Intermediate School - 13 Watertown · Watertown School District 14-4 | Middle | 58.7% | +8.3pp |
| 119 | Mitchell Middle School - 02 Mitchell · Mitchell School District 17-2 | Middle | 58.3% | +7.9pp |
| 120 | Viborg-Hurley Middle School - 03 Hurley · Viborg-Hurley School District 60-6 | Middle | 58.3% | +7.9pp |
| 121 | Platte - Geddes Jr. High - 03 Platte · Platte - Geddes School District 11-5 | Middle | 58.2% | +7.8pp |
| 122 | Lake Preston Elementary - 02 Lake Preston · Lake Preston School District 38-3 | Elementary | 58.1% | +7.7pp |
| 123 | Creekside Elementary - 07 Spearfish · Spearfish School District 40-2 | Elementary | 57.9% | +7.5pp |
| 124 | Georgia Morse Middle School - 02 Pierre · Pierre School District 32-2 | Middle | 57.9% | +7.5pp |
| 125 | Mountain View Elementary - 08 Spearfish · Spearfish School District 40-2 | Elementary | 57.9% | +7.5pp |
| 126 | West Elementary - 03 Spearfish · Spearfish School District 40-2 | Elementary | 57.9% | +7.5pp |
| 127 | Freeman Jr High - 05 Freeman · Freeman School District 33-1 | Middle | 57.8% | +7.4pp |
| 128 | Harrisburg East Middle School - 11 Sioux Falls · Harrisburg School District 41-2 | Middle | 57.8% | +7.4pp |
| 129 | Meadowbrook Elementary - 10 Rapid City · Rapid City Area School District 51-4 | Elementary | 57.8% | +7.4pp |
| 130 | Lincoln Elementary - 08 Aberdeen · Aberdeen School District 06-1 | Elementary | 57.6% | +7.2pp |
| 131 | Arlington Jr. High - 03 Arlington · Arlington School District 38-1 | Middle | 57.5% | +7.1pp |
| 132 | Corral Drive Elementary - 21 Rapid City · Rapid City Area School District 51-4 | Elementary | 57.5% | +7.1pp |
| 133 | Kennedy Elementary - 08 Pierre · Pierre School District 32-2 | Elementary | 57.2% | +6.8pp |
| 134 | Yankton Middle School - 02 Yankton · Yankton School District 63-3 | Middle | 57.2% | +6.8pp |
| 135 | Eureka Elementary - 02 Eureka · Eureka School District 44-1 | Elementary | 57.1% | +6.7pp |
| 136 | Lemmon Elementary - 02 Lemmon · Lemmon School District 52-4 | Elementary | 56.9% | +6.5pp |
| 137 | Hoven Elementary - 02 Hoven · Hoven School District 53-2 | Elementary | 56.8% | +6.4pp |
| 138 | Burke Middle School - 04 Burke · Burke School District 26-2 | Middle | 56.7% | +6.3pp |
| 139 | Groton Area Middle School - 04 Groton · Groton Area School District 06-6 | Middle | 56.6% | +6.2pp |
| 140 | Madison Elementary - 07 Madison · Madison Central School District 39-2 | Elementary | 56.6% | +6.2pp |
| 141 | Wall Elementary - 02 Wall · Wall School District 51-5 | Elementary | 56.6% | +6.2pp |
| 142 | Pinedale Elementary - 11 Rapid City · Rapid City Area School District 51-4 | Elementary | 56.5% | +6.1pp |
| 143 | Hill City Middle School - 04 Hill City · Hill City School District 51-2 | Middle | 56.3% | +5.9pp |
| 144 | Hill City Elementary - 02 Hill City · Hill City School District 51-2 | Elementary | 56.1% | +5.7pp |
| 145 | Corsica-Stickney Jr. High - 03 Corsica · Corsica-Stickney 21-3 | Middle | 56.0% | +5.6pp |
| 146 | Clark Elementary - 02 Clark · Clark School District 12-2 | Elementary | 55.9% | +5.5pp |
| 147 | Spearfish Middle School - 05 Spearfish · Spearfish School District 40-2 | Middle | 55.9% | +5.5pp |
| 148 | Hermosa Middle School - 07 Hermosa · Custer School District 16-1 | Middle | 55.8% | +5.4pp |
| 149 | West Central Hartford Elementary - 05 Hartford · West Central School District 49-7 | Elementary | 55.4% | +5.0pp |
| 150 | West Central Humboldt Elementary - 02 Humboldt · West Central School District 49-7 | Elementary | 55.4% | +5.0pp |
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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.