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
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
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. 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 →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
322
-43 (-12%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
10.5:1
was 12.0:1
% White
88%
was 86%
% Hispanic
4%
was 5%
% Black
0%
was 1%
% Asian
0%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free or 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) |
| 2017-18 | 365 | 30.5 | 12.0:1 | 32% (115) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for West Elementary - 03.
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.
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.
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 2017-18, West Elementary - 03 enrolled 365 students. By 2024-25, that number had fallen to 322. The student-to-teacher ratio dropped from 12.0:1 in 2017-18 to 10.5:1 in 2024-25.
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
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 Elementary - 092.7 mi · 2
- Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 102.7 mi · 21
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.