Enrollment
322
Elementary
DISTRICT 348 · STATE 204
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SPEARFISH SCHOOL DISTRICT 40-2·NCES 466693000392
West Elementary - 03
920 W King St, Spearfish, SD 57783 · (605) 717-1205 · Lawrence County
GRADES 01–02ELEMENTARY32-TOWNREGULAR SCHOOL322 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 64% of South Dakota public elementary schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded South Dakota public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
10.5:1
31 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.6:1 · STATE 15.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
17%
55 students
DISTRICT 18% · STATE 42%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | 159 | 49% |
| Grade 2 | 163 | 51% |
Student demographics
22%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 26% · STATE 53% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Spearfish School District 40-2. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
SD Smarter Balanced 2024-25 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
57.9%
SD avg 50.3% . +3.7pp since 2022
Math
53.0%
SD avg 47.5% . -1.3pp since 2022
What this means: On the SD Smarter Balanced, South Dakota's statewide test, about 58 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 53 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all South Dakota schools, those numbers are about 50 and 47. Reading and writing scores are up about 4 points since 2022, while math scores are down about 1 points.
SD Smarter Balanced results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 57.9% | 53.0% |
| 2023-24 | 56.0% | 57.3% |
| 2022-23 | 54.2% | 54.3% |
% Proficient, all students and all tested grades.
Source: SD Smarter Balanced. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
56.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
56.0%
based on SD schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+0.0pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 56% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 56% typical for South Dakota schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among South Dakota's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like West Elementary - 03
West Elementary - 03's state test result (56.0% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Elementary - 03 this school | 322 | 17.1% | 56.0% |
| Baltic Elementary - 02 Baltic | 307 | 16.0% | 63.8% |
| Lennox Elementary - 02 Lennox | 362 | 20.4% | 71.2% |
| Elk Point-Jefferson Elementary - 02 Elk Point | 334 | 17.1% | 44.2% |
| Sioux Valley Elementary - 02 Volga | 372 | 14.0% | 54.3% |
| Dell Rapids Elementary - 02 Dell Rapids | 355 | 12.7% | 72.2% |
Matched among South Dakota elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where West Elementary - 03 ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 56.0% | #60 of 193 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 53.0% | #90 of 199 ▼ 17 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 57.9% | #63 of 202 ▲ 2 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 322 | #87 of 331 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 10.5:1 | #9 of 131 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 22.3% | #102 of 131 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 17.1% | #184 of 209 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -11.8% | #43 of 87 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
322
+20 (+7%) vs 2020
-21% since 2000-01, when it was 409
Student : Teacher
10.5:1
was 10.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 322 | 30.6 | 10.5:1 | 17% (55) |
| 2023-24 | 348 | 32.4 | 10.8:1 | 17% (59) |
| 2022-23 | 352 | 32.2 | 10.9:1 | 15% (54) |
| 2020-21 | 302 | 29 | 10.4:1 | 24% (72) |
| 2017-18 | 365 | 30.5 | 12.0:1 | 32% (115) |
| 2015-16 | 373 | 29 | 12.9:1 | 34% (126) |
| 2010-11 | 529 | 37 | 14.3:1 | 34% (179) |
| 2000-01 | 409 | 33 | 12.4:1 | 31% (126) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for West Elementary - 03.
Since 2017-18: students down 12% (365 to 322); teachers unchanged (30.5 to 30.6).
About West Elementary - 03
West Elementary - 03 is an elementary school in Spearfish, South Dakota, according to federal school records. Its grade span covers grades 1 through 2, with 322 students on the rolls. Across elementary schools in South Dakota, the average enrollment is about 204.
The 7 schools in Spearfish School District 40-2 enroll 2,398 students altogether, West Elementary - 03 among them.
Roughly 88% of students at West Elementary - 03 are White. Enrollment also includes 5% multiracial, 4% Hispanic, and 3% Native American. Lawrence County residents are about 90% White, a similar share. On the diversity index, which measures the chance that two random students are from different groups, West Elementary - 03 scores 22%.
The school had 30.6 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25. Its student-to-teacher ratio is 10.5:1. The gap from the 15.4:1 average for elementary schools in South Dakota is 4.9 students per teacher. The school reported 17% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024-25.
West Elementary - 03 holds a B allk12 Grade, placing it above 64% of South Dakota public elementary schools.
BeatsExpectations compares each school's average proficiency rate across its state test results with a prediction based on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility. For West Elementary - 03, the prediction is 56.0% and the result is 56.0%.
The school is in Lawrence County, where median household income comes to about $73,384, 33% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Lawrence County counts 14 public schools with about 3,183 students.
West Elementary - 03's nearest public school is Spearfish Middle School - 05 (about 0.7 miles). Inside a five-mile radius, there are 6 other public schools. Compared with its nearest neighbors, West Elementary - 03 ranks 1st of 6 on average proficiency.
NCES assigns West Elementary - 03 the locale Town: Distant, meaning in a town some distance from an urbanized area.
In 2020-21, West Elementary - 03 enrolled 302 students. By 2024-25, that number had grown to 322.
The West Elementary - 03 discussion page is a place for special education services, counseling, and support programs. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Lawrence County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
27,233
Census ACS
Median income
$73,384
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
33%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
14
3,183 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Spearfish School District 40-2
- Spearfish High School - 01High · 787 students
- Creekside Elementary - 07Elementary · 553 students
- Spearfish Middle School - 05Middle · 545 students
- Mountain View Elementary - 08Elementary · 168 students
- Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 10High · 21 students
- Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 09Middle · 2 students
Other schools in Spearfish
- Spearfish High School - 01High · 787 students
- Creekside Elementary - 07Elementary · 553 students
- Spearfish Middle School - 05Middle · 545 students
- Mountain View Elementary - 08Elementary · 168 students
- Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 10High · 21 students
- Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 09Middle · 2 students
Other West Elementary schools
50 other US public schools in 25 states are named West Elementary. West Elementary - 03 is the 32nd largest of the 51.
- West ElementaryMt Juliet, TN · 849 students
- West ElementaryBixby, OK · 757 students
- West Elementary SchoolCYPRESS, TX · 740 students
- West Elementary SchoolRussellville, AL · 686 students
- WEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLWEST SENECA, NY · 680 students
Nearby schools
- Spearfish Middle School - 050.7 mi · 545
- Spearfish High School - 010.7 mi · 787
- Mountain View Elementary - 080.9 mi · 168
- Creekside Elementary - 071.2 mi · 553
- Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 102.7 mi · 21
- Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 092.7 mi · 2
Frequently asked questions
About West Elementary - 03How large is West Elementary - 03?
West Elementary - 03 enrolls approximately 322 students in grades 01-02.
Is West Elementary - 03 an elementary, middle, or high school?
West Elementary - 03 is an elementary school covering grades 01-02.
How many teachers does West Elementary - 03 have?
West Elementary - 03 employs 31 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 10.5:1.
What is the student diversity at West Elementary - 03?
Student demographics at West Elementary - 03 are roughly 88% White, 4% Hispanic, 0% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Who oversees West Elementary - 03?
West Elementary - 03 is overseen by Spearfish School District 40-2 in Lawrence County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.