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

No. Use the Stark 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 Stark 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 Stark County?

Start with the 21 listed public schools and 4 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Stark County Schools & Education

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

Stark County, North Dakota

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

School Score

54/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

86.1%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

86.1%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 84.8%

Per-Pupil Spending

$9,035

National avg $13,239

State avg $9,385

School Score

54/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 54/100

State Score Position

#22

of 53 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Stark County

Measured School Summary

Stark County performs at an average level with a school score of 54/100 and a solid graduation rate of 86.1%.

Funding Context

Stark County spends $9,035 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 1% below the North Dakota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 4% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Stark 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

21 public schools and 4 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

54/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #22 of 53 North Dakota counties with school score data.

Completion

86.1%

1.3 pts above the state average

Funding context

$9,035

$350 below the state average

School coverage

4 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

Stark County has 21 public schools across 4 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 Stark 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

Stark 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

#22

of 53 North Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is roughly in line with 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.

DICKINSON 1

Elementary to high school visible

3,951 students

Elementary 7Middle 1High 3Other 1

12 listed schools in this county slice.

SOUTH HEART 9

Elementary and high visible

406 students

Elementary 2Middle 0High 2Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

RICHARDTON-TAYLOR 34

Elementary to high school visible

314 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

BELFIELD 13

Elementary and high visible

267 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

DICKINSON 1 is the largest listed district slice, with 12 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 Stark County?

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

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

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

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

Education Overview

About Schools in Stark County, North Dakota

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Robust Schooling in Stark County

Stark County supports a large student population of 4,938 across 21 public schools and four districts. The county features a comprehensive mix of 11 elementary schools, two middle schools, and seven high schools.

Dickinson's Central Role

Dickinson 1 is the primary district, managing 12 schools and serving 3,951 students. The county has no charter schools, meaning all education is handled through the four regional public districts.

Town and Country Diversity

Stark County offers a mix of town and rural locales, with an average school size of 247 students. Dickinson High School is a regional powerhouse with 1,028 students, while several rural campuses offer smaller settings.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Stark County

Reported Enrollment

4,938

21 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary11

Middle2

High7

Other1

4 School Districts in Stark County

DICKINSON 1

SOUTH HEART 9

4 schools

406 students

RICHARDTON-TAYLOR 34

3 schools

314 students

BELFIELD 13

2 schools

267 students

21 Public Schools in Stark 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 20 of 21 matching schools

Public schools in Stark County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
DICKINSON HIGH SCHOOL	Profile	DICKINSON 1	Dickinson, 58601Town: Remote	9–12	High	1,028
DICKINSON MIDDLE SCHOOL	Record	DICKINSON 1	Dickinson, 58601Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	842
PRAIRIE ROSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	DICKINSON 1	Dickinson, 58601Town: Remote	KG–5	Primary	470
LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	DICKINSON 1	Dickinson, 58601Town: Remote	KG–5	Primary	390
JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	DICKINSON 1	Dickinson, 58601Town: Remote	KG–5	Primary	378
ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	DICKINSON 1	Dickinson, 58601Town: Remote	KG–5	Primary	262
HEART RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	DICKINSON 1	Dickinson, 58601Town: Remote	KG–5	Primary	252
SOUTH HEART ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	SOUTH HEART 9	South Heart, 58655Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	241
P S BERG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	DICKINSON 1	Dickinson, 58601Town: Remote	KG–5	Primary	174
SOUTH HEART HIGH SCHOOL	Record	SOUTH HEART 9	South Heart, 58655Rural: Distant	7–12	High	158
BELFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	BELFIELD 13	Belfield, 58622Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	146
TAYLOR-RICHARDTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	RICHARDTON-TAYLOR 34	Taylor, 58656Rural: Remote	PK–4	Primary	137
RICHARDTON-TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL	Record	RICHARDTON-TAYLOR 34	Richardton, 58652Rural: Remote	7–12	High	132
BELFIELD HIGH SCHOOL	Record	BELFIELD 13	Belfield, 58622Rural: Remote	7–12	High	121
EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER	Record	DICKINSON 1	Dickinson, 58601Town: Remote	PK	Other	76
RICHARDTON-TAYLOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	Record	RICHARDTON-TAYLOR 34	Richardton, 58652Rural: Remote	5–6	Middle	45
ROUGHRIDER ELEMENTARY VIRTUAL ACADEMY	Record	DICKINSON 1	DICKINSON, 58601Town: Remote	KG–8	Virtual	36
SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL	Record	DICKINSON 1	Dickinson, 58601Town: Remote	9–12	High	29
ROUGHRIDER HIGH VIRTUAL ACADEMY	Record	DICKINSON 1	DICKINSON, 58601Town: Remote	9–12	Virtual	14
SOUTH HEART HIGH VIRTUAL ACADEMY	Record	SOUTH HEART 9	South Heart, 58655Rural: Distant	7–12	Virtual	7

DICKINSON HIGH SCHOOL

DICKINSON 1

Dickinson, 58601 / Town: Remote

Profile9–12High1,028 students

DICKINSON MIDDLE SCHOOL

DICKINSON 1

Dickinson, 58601 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle842 students

PRAIRIE ROSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

DICKINSON 1

Dickinson, 58601 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary470 students

LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

DICKINSON 1

Dickinson, 58601 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary390 students

JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

DICKINSON 1

Dickinson, 58601 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary378 students

ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

DICKINSON 1

Dickinson, 58601 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary262 students

HEART RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

DICKINSON 1

Dickinson, 58601 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary252 students

SOUTH HEART ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SOUTH HEART 9

South Heart, 58655 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary241 students

P S BERG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

DICKINSON 1

Dickinson, 58601 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–5Primary174 students

SOUTH HEART HIGH SCHOOL

SOUTH HEART 9

South Heart, 58655 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12High158 students

BELFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BELFIELD 13

Belfield, 58622 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary146 students

TAYLOR-RICHARDTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

RICHARDTON-TAYLOR 34

Taylor, 58656 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary137 students

RICHARDTON-TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL

RICHARDTON-TAYLOR 34

Richardton, 58652 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High132 students

BELFIELD HIGH SCHOOL

BELFIELD 13

Belfield, 58622 / Rural: Remote

Record7–12High121 students

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER

DICKINSON 1

Dickinson, 58601 / Town: Remote

RecordPKOther76 students

RICHARDTON-TAYLOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

RICHARDTON-TAYLOR 34

Richardton, 58652 / Rural: Remote

Record5–6Middle45 students

ROUGHRIDER ELEMENTARY VIRTUAL ACADEMY

DICKINSON 1

DICKINSON, 58601 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–8Virtual36 students

SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

DICKINSON 1

Dickinson, 58601 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High29 students

ROUGHRIDER HIGH VIRTUAL ACADEMY

DICKINSON 1

DICKINSON, 58601 / Town: Remote

Record9–12Virtual14 students

SOUTH HEART HIGH VIRTUAL ACADEMY

SOUTH HEART 9

South Heart, 58655 / Rural: Distant

Record7–12Virtual7 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$9,035

State avg $9,385

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Stark 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 North Dakota counties have the highest graduation rates?

Mercer County (95.0%), Pierce County (95.0%), and Dickey County (93.4%) currently lead North Dakota 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 North Dakota?

Across North Dakota counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $9,385. The highest current county values are Steele County ($16,783), Sioux County ($14,627), and Burke County ($12,732). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Stark County?

Stark County has a school score of 54/100, 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 Stark County?

The high school graduation rate in Stark County is 86.1%, 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 Stark County spend per student?

Stark County spends $9,035 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Stark County, North Dakota — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Stark County, North Dakota?

What are the major school districts in Stark County, North Dakota?

Dickinson 1 is the primary district, managing 12 schools and serving 3,951 students. The county has no charter schools, meaning all education is handled through the four regional public districts.

What is the school experience like in Stark County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Mountrail County

North Dakota

-1 pts

53/100

School score

Wells County

North Dakota

-1 pts

53/100

School score

Dickey County

North Dakota

-1 pts

52/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated May 13, 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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