Willow Lake Elementary - 02

Set in Willow Lake, South Dakota, Willow Lake Elementary - 02 is an intimate elementary-level community, run under Willow Lake School District 12-3. It caters to 153 students across grades pre-K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 25% below the state mean of about 204.

Willow Lake Elementary - 02 is one of 6 schools operated by Willow Lake School District 12-3, a district that instructs 344 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Willow Lake Elementary - 02 records that nearly all students (97%) are White. Other groups include 3% Hispanic.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, Willow Lake Elementary - 02 has 11 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 15.4:1, putting Willow Lake Elementary - 02 tighter than the state norm the norm. About 48% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is north of Clark County's rate of about 36%.

With demographic context factored in, Willow Lake Elementary - 02 sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 43.2%; this one delivers 40.4%.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Clark County indicate median household earnings sit near $70,726, roughly 20% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. In all, Clark County runs 11 public schools (combined enrollment of about 820 students), of which Willow Lake Elementary - 02 is one.

Willow Lake Middle School - 03 is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. 2 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The campus sits in a low-density setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Willow Lake Elementary - 02 has ticked up 43%, going from 107 students in 2018 to 153 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share increased from 92% to 97%. The student-to-teacher ratio loosened from 12.3:1 in 2018 to 14.2:1 today.

Inside the community feed, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.