Can I use Dakota County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Dakota County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Dakota County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Dakota County?

Start with the 11 listed public schools and 3 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Dakota County Schools & Education

Name: Dakota County, Nebraska Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Dakota County, Nebraska

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

56/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

86.3%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

86.3%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 86.9%

Per-Pupil Spending

$9,507

National avg $13,239

State avg $10,521

School Score

56/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 64/100

State Score Position

#60

of 93 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Dakota County

Measured School Summary

Dakota County performs at an average level with a school score of 56/100 and a solid graduation rate of 86.3%.

Funding Context

Dakota County spends $9,507 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 12% below the Nebraska average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 10% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Dakota County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

11 public schools and 3 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

56/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #60 of 93 Nebraska counties with school score data.

Completion

86.3%

0.6 pts below the state average

Funding context

$9,507

$1,014 below the state average

School coverage

3 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Dakota County has 11 public schools across 3 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Dakota County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS carries most of the listed public-school system, with 8 of 11 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#60

of 93 Nebraska counties with school score data. The county score is 8 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS

Elementary to high school visible

3,783 students

Elementary 5Middle 1High 1Other 1

8 listed schools in this county slice.

HOMER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

Elementary and high visible

428 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

PONCA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Elementary school only in this slice

127 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS is the largest listed district slice, with 8 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Dakota County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Dakota County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Suburban School Locales Dominate Dakota County's Large District Structure

Education data brief for Dakota County, Nebraska.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:District structure

Dakota County's educational landscape is defined by a predominantly suburban school mix, with eight of its 11 public schools classified as suburban by the NCES. This is notable in Nebraska, where many counties are exclusively rural or town-based. South Sioux City Community Schools dominates the county's enrollment, serving 3,783 of the 4,338 total students. The average school size is 394 students, significantly larger than many neighboring counties. The graduation rate of 86.3% is slightly below the state average of 86.9%, and the composite school score of 56.2 is lower than the state average of 63.6. Spending is $9,507 per pupil, which is below the Nebraska average of $10,521 and the national $13,000 average. No charter schools operate within the three local districts. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Dakota County

Reported Enrollment

4,338

11 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary7

Middle1

High2

Other1

3 School Districts in Dakota County

SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS

PONCA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

3 schools

442 students

HOMER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

2 schools

428 students

11 Public Schools in Dakota County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 11 of 11 matching schools

Public schools in Dakota County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
SOUTH SIOUX HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS	SO SIOUX CITY, 68776Suburb: Midsize	9–12	High	1,149
SOUTH SIOUX CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS	SO SIOUX CITY, 68776Suburb: Midsize	6–8	Middle	773
CARDINAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS	SO SIOUX CITY, 68776Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	432
COVINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS	SO SIOUX CITY, 68776Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	409
HARNEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS	SO SIOUX CITY, 68776Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	376
DAKOTA CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS	DAKOTA CITY, 68731Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	241
HOMER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	HOMER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS	HOMER, 68030Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	237
LEWIS & CLARK ELEMENTARY SCH	Record	SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS	SO SIOUX CITY, 68776Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	227
HOMER HIGH SCHOOL	Record	HOMER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS	HOMER, 68030Rural: Distant	7–12	High	191
E N SWETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS	SO SIOUX CITY, 68776Suburb: Midsize	PK	Other	176
JACKSON ELEMENTARY	Record	PONCA PUBLIC SCHOOLS	JACKSON, 68743Rural: Fringe	PK–2	Primary	127

SOUTH SIOUX HIGH SCHOOL

SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS

SO SIOUX CITY, 68776 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,149 students

SOUTH SIOUX CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL

SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS

SO SIOUX CITY, 68776 / Suburb: Midsize

Record6–8Middle773 students

CARDINAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS

SO SIOUX CITY, 68776 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary432 students

COVINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS

SO SIOUX CITY, 68776 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary409 students

HARNEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS

SO SIOUX CITY, 68776 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary376 students

DAKOTA CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS

DAKOTA CITY, 68731 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary241 students

HOMER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

HOMER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

HOMER, 68030 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary237 students

LEWIS & CLARK ELEMENTARY SCH

SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS

SO SIOUX CITY, 68776 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary227 students

HOMER HIGH SCHOOL

HOMER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

HOMER, 68030 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High191 students

E N SWETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SO SIOUX CITY COMMUNITY SCHS

SO SIOUX CITY, 68776 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPKOther176 students

JACKSON ELEMENTARY

PONCA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

JACKSON, 68743 / Rural: Fringe

RecordPK–2Primary127 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$9,507

State avg $10,521

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Dakota County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Nebraska counties have the highest graduation rates?

Washington County (96.3%), Seward County (96.2%), and Keith County (95.4%) currently lead Nebraska among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Nebraska?

Across Nebraska counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $10,521. The highest current county values are Wheeler County ($19,491), Sioux County ($18,861), and Loup County ($18,703). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Dakota County?

Dakota County has a school score of 56/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Dakota County?

The high school graduation rate in Dakota County is 86.3%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Dakota County spend per student?

Dakota County spends $9,507 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Brown County

Nebraska

-0 pts

56/100

School score

Custer County

Nebraska

-0 pts

56/100

School score

Cheyenne County

Nebraska

-1 pts

55/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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