Valley Springs Elementary - 04

Valley Springs Elementary - 04 is one of the rural-scale primary schools in Valley Springs, South Dakota, operated by Brandon Valley School District 49-2, with 67 students on its rolls from grades K through 4. Enrollment runs roughly 67% smaller than the state mean of about 204.

Across the 8 schools in Brandon Valley School District 49-2 (5,182 students total), Valley Springs Elementary - 04 accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Valley Springs Elementary - 04 reports that nearly all students (84%) are White. The remainder consists of 9% multiracial, 6% Native American. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school reports having 6 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.4:1, putting Valley Springs Elementary - 04 tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 24% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is lower than Minnehaha County's rate of about 42%.

Around the school, Minnehaha County reports that the typical household earns roughly $76,880 per year, 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. Valley Springs Elementary - 04 is one of 83 public schools in Minnehaha County (combined enrollment of about 34,919 students).

Nearest neighbor: Brandon Valley High School - 01, around 5.1 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint.

Valley Springs Elementary - 04 operates from a countryside location.

Five-year trend. Looking back 6 years, enrollment at Valley Springs Elementary - 04 has contracted 37%, going from 107 students in 2018 to 67 in 2024. Over the same period, the White share decreased from 94% to 84%. Class-load math has narrowed: from 13.1:1 in 2018 to 10.6:1 in 2024.

On the community side, members of the Valley Springs Elementary - 04 community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.