Burke County Schools & Education
Burke County, North Dakota
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
50/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
75.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
75.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 84.8%
Per-Pupil Spending
$12,732
National avg $13,239
State avg $9,385
School Score
50/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 54/100
State Score Position
#33
of 53 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Burke County
Measured School Summary
Burke County has midrange measured school signals (score: 50/100) with a graduation rate of 75.0%, which warrants review in official state and district records.
Funding Context
With $12,732 per pupil, Burke County has adequate funding that generally covers core educational needs and some supplemental services.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 7% below the North Dakota average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 9.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 36% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Burke 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
6 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
50/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #33 of 53 North Dakota counties with school score data.
Completion
75.0%
9.8 pts below the state average
Funding context
$12,732
$3,347 above the state average
School coverage
6
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
Burke County has 6 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.
What Burke 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.
Mixed school landscape
Burke County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.
State position
#33
of 53 North Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 4 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.
POWERS LAKE 27
Elementary and high visible
239 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
BOWBELLS 14
Elementary and high visible
90 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
BURKE CENTRAL 36
Elementary and high visible
83 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
BOWBELLS 14 is the largest listed district slice, with 2 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 Burke County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Burke County district systems?
Where do students transition after the visible grade band, and is that next school inside the same district path?
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
Burke County Reports Graduation Rate Below State Average
Education data brief for Burke County, North Dakota.
Burke County records a graduation rate of 75.0%, which is significantly lower than the North Dakota state average of 84.8% and the national average of 87.0%. The county’s public school system consists of 412 students distributed across three districts and six schools, all in rural settings. Powers Lake 27 is the largest district, serving 239 students at Powers Lake Elementary and High School. The county spends $12,732 per pupil, nearly reaching the national average of $13,000 and significantly exceeding the state average of $9,385. Despite the higher spending levels relative to the state, the composite school score of 50.3 is lower than the state average of 53.6 but marginally above the national median of 50.0. Refer to the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level enrollment by grade.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
6
in Burke County
Reported Enrollment
412
6 schools reporting
School Districts
3
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
3 School Districts in Burke County
POWERS LAKE 27
BOWBELLS 14
BURKE CENTRAL 36
6 Public Schools in Burke County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 6 of 6 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWERS LAKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | POWERS LAKE 27 | Powers Lake, 58773Rural: Remote | PK–8 | Primary | 166 |
| POWERS LAKE HIGH SCHOOL | Record | POWERS LAKE 27 | Powers Lake, 58773Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 73 |
| BURKE CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | BURKE CENTRAL 36 | Lignite, 58752Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 52 |
| BOWBELLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | Record | BOWBELLS 14 | Bowbells, 58721Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 49 |
| BOWBELLS HIGH SCHOOL | Record | BOWBELLS 14 | Bowbells, 58721Rural: Remote | 7–12 | High | 41 |
| BURKE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL | Record | BURKE CENTRAL 36 | Lignite, 58752Rural: Remote | 7–12 | High | 31 |
POWERS LAKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
POWERS LAKE 27
Powers Lake, 58773 / Rural: Remote
BURKE CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BURKE CENTRAL 36
Lignite, 58752 / Rural: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$12,732
State avg $9,385
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Burke County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which North Dakota counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in North Dakota?
How should I read the school score in Burke County?
What is the graduation rate in Burke County?
How much does Burke County spend per student?
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.