While the U.S. is one of the most educated countries in the world, it doesn’t provide the same quality elementary school or secondary school education to all students. In many states, more affluent school districts receive a greater amount of funding per student than poorer districts.
Discrepancies between the rich and poor have been exacerbated even more this year by the COVID-19 pandemic. As states decide whether their school districts will have in-person learning this fall, studies show that low-income students will suffer the greatest “learning loss” due to partial or total remote learning. One contributing factor is that people in low-income districts are less likely to have the technological resources they need.
States that provide equitable funding to all school districts can help prevent poor students from having lower graduation rates, lower rates of pursuing higher education and smaller future incomes than their wealthy peers. The difference is dramatic: College graduates have $460 - $1,154 higher median weekly earnings than people with a high school diploma and no college experience, depending on the degree.
South Dakota has the 9th most equitable school districts in the U.S. overall, but some districts within the state are fairer than others. To find out where school funding is distributed most equitably, WalletHub scored 149 districts in South Dakota based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil. Read on for the district ranking and a complete description of our methodology.
Main Findings
Note: For visual purposes, we included only the top 7 school districts by enrollment from each category. Rank 1 on the “Expenditures Ranking” means highest expenditures and Rank 1 on “Income Ranking” means lowest income.
Most & Least Equitable School Districts in South Dakota
| Rank* | School District | Score | Expeditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools per Pupil | Income by School District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colman-Egan School District | 0.17 | $10,488 | $62,796 |
| 2 | Milbank School District 25-4 | 0.30 | $10,241 | $63,895 |
| 3 | Henry School District 14-2 | 0.45 | $11,085 | $60,313 |
| 4 | Lemmon School District 52-4 | 1.18 | $13,431 | $48,264 |
| 5 | Northwestern School District 56-7 | 1.32 | $11,586 | $56,938 |
| 6 | Scotland School District 4-3 | 1.71 | $11,959 | $56,875 |
| 7 | Oldham-Ramona School District | 2.16 | $11,763 | $55,625 |
| 8 | Howard School District 48-3 | 2.30 | $12,332 | $52,847 |
| 9 | Mt Vernon School District 17-3 | 2.36 | $11,727 | $55,682 |
| 10 | Langford Area School District 45-5 | 3.07 | $11,925 | $57,800 |
| 11 | Elkton School District 5-3 | 3.45 | $10,051 | $63,021 |
| 12 | Avon School District 4-1 | 3.48 | $10,823 | $59,338 |
| 13 | Wolsey-Wessington School District 2-6 | 3.49 | $10,940 | $62,708 |
| 14 | Mccook Central School District 43-7 | 3.61 | $11,262 | $61,250 |
| 15 | Andes Central School District 11-1 | 3.66 | $14,467 | $41,950 |
| 16 | Eureka School District 44-1 | 3.74 | $16,152 | $38,125 |
| 17 | Corsica-Stinckney School District 21-3 | 3.75 | $10,907 | $63,015 |
| 18 | Garretson School District 49-4 | 4.06 | $8,988 | $72,292 |
| 19 | Summit School District 54-6 | 4.33 | $12,348 | $51,625 |
| 20 | Freeman School District 33-1 | 4.35 | $12,057 | $57,895 |
| 21 | Hill City School District 51-2 | 4.39 | $13,143 | $52,763 |
| 22 | Groton Area School District 6-6 | 4.91 | $11,277 | $61,914 |
| 23 | Bennett County High School District 3-1 | 5.16 | $12,940 | $48,348 |
| 24 | Dupree School District 64-2 | 5.26 | $15,577 | $41,705 |
| 25 | Sioux Valley School District 5-5 | 5.27 | $9,589 | $70,123 |
| 26 | Gettysburg School District 53-1 | 5.51 | $11,971 | $52,750 |
| 27 | West Central School District 49-7 | 6.09 | $8,747 | $74,577 |
| 28 | Custer School District 16-1 | 6.30 | $11,197 | $55,977 |
| 29 | Highmore-Harrold School District 34-2 | 6.59 | $12,791 | $55,673 |
| 30 | Parkston School District 33-3 | 6.79 | $9,931 | $61,705 |
| 31 | Parker School District 60-4 | 7.06 | $9,204 | $72,955 |
| 32 | Dell Rapids School District 49-3 | 7.11 | $8,882 | $74,515 |
| 33 | Willow Lake School District 12-3 | 7.12 | $11,708 | $53,092 |
| 34 | Faulkton School District 24-4 | 7.46 | $11,529 | $53,750 |
| 35 | Gayville-Volin Independent School District 63-1 | 7.67 | $9,528 | $63,125 |
| 36 | Sanborn Central School District 5-55 | 7.78 | $13,005 | $55,329 |
| 37 | Arlington School District 38-1 | 7.87 | $11,619 | $61,959 |
| 38 | Iroquois School District 2-3 | 7.95 | $13,031 | $55,302 |
| 39 | Marion School District 60-3 | 7.96 | $13,898 | $51,196 |
| 40 | Castlewood School District 28-1 | 7.97 | $10,000 | $69,696 |
| 41 | Armour School District 21-1 | 8.24 | $13,393 | $53,750 |
| 42 | Bridgewater-Emery School District 30-3 | 8.26 | $11,936 | $60,670 |
| 43 | Faith School District 46-2 | 8.45 | $11,935 | $60,781 |
| 44 | Beresford School District 61-2 | 8.60 | $9,187 | $64,219 |
| 45 | Irene-Wakonda School District 13-3 | 8.91 | $11,801 | $61,681 |
| 46 | Newell School District 9-2 | 8.92 | $13,475 | $43,693 |
| 47 | Hanson School District 30-1 | 9.01 | $9,307 | $63,417 |
| 48 | Rutland School District 39-4 | 9.43 | $12,085 | $50,000 |
| 49 | Elk Point-Jefferson School District 61-7 | 9.49 | $9,068 | $64,280 |
| 50 | Oglala Lakota County School District 65-1 | 9.62 | $18,489 | $30,347 |
| 51 | Wilmot School District 54-7 | 9.79 | $10,479 | $57,417 |
| 52 | Waverly School District 14-5 | 10.21 | $11,651 | $63,125 |
| 53 | Bon Homme School District 4-2 | 10.29 | $10,661 | $56,274 |
| 54 | New Underwood School District 51-3 | 11.31 | $10,101 | $71,094 |
| 55 | Britton-Hecla School District 45-4 | 11.46 | $10,729 | $68,203 |
| 56 | Lennox School District 41-4 | 11.62 | $8,003 | $68,137 |
| 57 | Tri Valley School District 49-6 | 11.73 | $9,332 | $74,983 |
| 58 | Menno School District 33-2 | 13.04 | $15,297 | $47,417 |
| 59 | Estelline School District 28-2 | 13.07 | $12,122 | $62,500 |
| 60 | Pierre School District 32-2 | 13.27 | $8,652 | $64,126 |
| 61 | Dakota Valley School District 61-8 | 13.40 | $9,024 | $77,385 |
| 62 | Meade School District 46-1 | 13.75 | $8,884 | $62,757 |
| 63 | Trip-Delmart School District 33-5 | 14.04 | $15,725 | $45,948 |
| 64 | Alcester-Hudson School District 61-1 | 14.11 | $10,612 | $54,352 |
| 65 | Tea Area School District 41-5 | 14.22 | $7,847 | $83,426 |
| 66 | Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1 | 14.30 | $14,283 | $52,941 |
| 67 | Selby School District 62-5 | 14.39 | $13,485 | $56,776 |
| 68 | Chester Area School District 39-1 | 14.51 | $8,176 | $82,031 |
| 69 | Ipswich School District 22-6 | 14.79 | $9,896 | $74,026 |
| 70 | Edgemont School District 23-1 | 15.03 | $15,536 | $30,474 |
| 71 | Edmunds Central School District 22-5 | 15.36 | $13,155 | $58,889 |
| 72 | Canton School District 41-1 | 15.41 | $9,143 | $77,949 |
| 73 | Ethan School District 17-1 | 15.45 | $9,078 | $60,875 |
| 74 | Lyman School District 42-1 | 15.58 | $14,378 | $53,207 |
| 75 | Florence School District 14-1 | 15.69 | $10,292 | $72,656 |
| 76 | White Lake School District 1-3 | 15.83 | $12,555 | $62,000 |
| 77 | Woonsocket School District 55-4 | 15.87 | $10,934 | $51,836 |
| 78 | Warner School District 6-5 | 16.09 | $8,847 | $79,737 |
| 79 | Deuel School District 19-4 | 16.22 | $9,826 | $56,894 |
| 80 | Miller Area School District 29-4 | 16.40 | $11,106 | $50,719 |
| 81 | Doland School District 56-2 | 16.59 | $13,067 | $60,000 |
| 82 | Chamberlain School District 7-1 | 16.60 | $11,609 | $48,221 |
| 83 | Smee School District 15-3 | 17.10 | $20,965 | $22,813 |
| 84 | Timber Lake School District 20-3 | 17.40 | $14,723 | $52,596 |
| 85 | Mclaughlin School District 15-2 | 17.48 | $16,058 | $26,618 |
| 86 | Kadoka School District 35-2 | 17.71 | $14,343 | $34,625 |
| 87 | Hamlin School District 28-3 | 17.94 | $8,297 | $63,179 |
| 88 | Colome Consolidated 59-3 | 17.95 | $11,199 | $49,405 |
| 89 | Wall School District 51-5 | 18.20 | $12,584 | $63,194 |
| 90 | Jones County School District 37-3 | 18.57 | $12,984 | $40,588 |
| 91 | Burke School District 26-2 | 18.62 | $11,860 | $45,893 |
| 92 | De Smet School District 38-2 | 18.66 | $11,418 | $68,988 |
| 93 | Platte-Geddes School District 11-5 | 19.63 | $10,557 | $51,507 |
| 94 | Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | 20.44 | $9,362 | $56,720 |
| 95 | Baltic School District 49-1 | 20.59 | $8,598 | $83,454 |
| 96 | Big Stone City School District 25-1 | 20.61 | $13,376 | $60,795 |
| 97 | Rapid City Area School District 51-4 | 21.19 | $9,629 | $55,028 |
| 98 | Plankinton School District 1-1 | 21.45 | $14,024 | $58,194 |
| 99 | Montrose School District 43-2 | 21.68 | $11,914 | $68,333 |
| 100 | Herreid School District 10-1 | 22.14 | $14,560 | $56,042 |
| 101 | Canistota School District 43-1 | 22.21 | $13,874 | $59,333 |
| 102 | Leola School District 44-2 | 22.54 | $15,108 | $53,667 |
| 103 | Viborg-Hurley School District 60-6 | 23.00 | $10,776 | $48,566 |
| 104 | Lake Preston School District 38-3 | 23.55 | $14,850 | $55,461 |
| 105 | Deubrook Area School District 05-6 | 23.60 | $11,875 | $69,600 |
| 106 | Waubay School District 18-3 | 23.63 | $12,538 | $39,853 |
| 107 | Madison Central School District 39-2 | 23.65 | $9,130 | $56,009 |
| 108 | Kimball Independent School District 7-2 | 23.68 | $9,699 | $53,295 |
| 109 | Huron School District 2-2 | 24.01 | $10,207 | $50,700 |
| 110 | Wagner Community School District 11-4 | 24.18 | $11,550 | $44,231 |
| 111 | Stanley County School District 57-1 | 24.40 | $11,514 | $71,763 |
| 112 | Flandreau School District 50-3 | 24.47 | $9,837 | $52,196 |
| 113 | Sisseton School District 54-2 | 25.65 | $11,627 | $43,039 |
| 114 | Rosholt School District 54-4 | 25.74 | $11,623 | $72,000 |
| 115 | Wessington Springs School District 36-2 | 25.76 | $11,073 | $45,602 |
| 116 | Brookings School District 5-1 | 26.00 | $9,383 | $53,489 |
| 117 | Winner School District 59-2 | 27.37 | $9,840 | $50,550 |
| 118 | Harrisburg School District 41-2 | 27.75 | $9,276 | $84,272 |
| 119 | Brandon Valley School District 49-2 | 28.13 | $8,404 | $88,619 |
| 120 | Aberdeen School District 6-1 | 28.94 | $8,784 | $54,674 |
| 121 | Douglas School District 51-1 | 29.72 | $8,756 | $54,365 |
| 122 | Clark School District 12-2 | 30.55 | $10,712 | $44,620 |
| 123 | Mcintosh School District 15-1 | 30.62 | $18,759 | $40,893 |
| 124 | Mobridge-Pollock School District 62-6 | 30.78 | $9,920 | $48,246 |
| 125 | White River School District 47-1 | 30.83 | $13,616 | $30,685 |
| 126 | Hot Springs School District 23-2 | 30.83 | $8,727 | $53,880 |
| 127 | Bowdle School District 22-1 | 32.80 | $16,689 | $51,944 |
| 128 | Centerville School District 60-1 | 33.06 | $9,570 | $48,625 |
| 129 | Webster Area School District 18-5 | 34.06 | $10,356 | $44,333 |
| 130 | Watertown School District 14-4 | 34.06 | $8,619 | $52,572 |
| 131 | Frederick Area School District 6-2 | 34.08 | $14,725 | $61,983 |
| 132 | Yankton School District 63-3 | 35.10 | $8,767 | $51,286 |
| 133 | Redfield School District 56-4 | 35.29 | $9,306 | $48,623 |
| 134 | Agar-Blunt-Onida School District 58-3 | 35.58 | $14,841 | $62,279 |
| 135 | Bison School District 52-1 | 36.13 | $15,039 | $61,645 |
| 136 | Gregory School District 26-4 | 36.14 | $10,293 | $43,459 |
| 137 | Mitchell School District 17-2 | 37.00 | $9,376 | $47,324 |
| 138 | Hitchcock-Tulare School District 56-6 | 37.33 | $12,784 | $73,021 |
| 139 | Haakon School District 27-1 | 38.67 | $11,325 | $37,139 |
| 140 | Oelrichs School District 23-3 | 40.16 | $18,298 | $48,456 |
| 141 | Spearfish School District 40-2 | 41.06 | $8,168 | $50,770 |
| 142 | Eagle Butte School District 20-1 | 42.18 | $20,780 | $37,818 |
| 143 | Vermillion School District 13-1 | 46.22 | $9,524 | $41,429 |
| 144 | Todd County School District 66-1 | 47.30 | $13,015 | $24,257 |
| 145 | Belle Fourche School District 9-1 | 47.74 | $8,703 | $44,469 |
| 146 | Harding County School District 31-1 | 53.38 | $17,990 | $57,365 |
| 147 | South Central School District 26-5 | 57.76 | $21,291 | $44,167 |
| 148 | Hoven School District 53-2 | 74.01 | $20,382 | $57,634 |
| 149 | Elk Mountain School District 16-2 | 84.13 | $21,875 | $56,250 |
*1=Most Equitable
Methodology
In order to rank the states with the most and least equitable school districts, WalletHub first scored 12,919 school districts throughout the U.S. based on two metrics: average household income and expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools per pupil.
For expenditures, for each 1 percent above the state's average we removed 1 point from a base score of 50 points for each district. For household income, for each 1 percent above the state's average we added 1 point to a base score of 50 points for each district. The inverse was true for each 1 percent below the state's average.
The final score for each district was calculated by taking the absolute difference between the score for expenditures and the score for household income. We then ranked the districts based on the total score, with the lowest value, representing the most equitable, being ranked 1.
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from of the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics.