schoolsbycounty

Beadle County Schools & Education

School Score

15/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

78.1%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

78.1%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 82.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,315

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,409

School Score

15/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 38/100

State Score Position

#58

of 65 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Beadle County

Measured School Summary

Beadle County faces educational challenges with a school score of 15/100 and a graduation rate of 78.1%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,315 per pupil, Beadle County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 61% below the South Dakota average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 4.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 15% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Beadle 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

16 public schools and 2 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

15/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #58 of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data.

Completion

78.1%

4.3 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,315

$1,094 below the state average

School coverage

16

2 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Beadle County has 16 public schools across 2 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.

Parent decision brief

What Beadle 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

Huron School District 02-2 carries most of the listed public-school system, with 10 of 16 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#58

of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 23 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.

Huron School District 02-2

Elementary to high school visible

2,917 students

Elementary 5Middle 1High 3Other 1

10 listed schools in this county slice.

Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6

Elementary to high school visible

359 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Huron School District 02-2 is the largest listed district slice, with 10 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 Beadle County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Beadle 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?

Education Overview

About Schools in Beadle County, South 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.

A Robust Educational Hub in Huron

Beadle County supports a significant student population of 3,411 across 16 public schools. The infrastructure includes eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools, primarily organized within two districts. This diverse system includes two alternative schools to support varied learning needs.

Huron School District Dominates Enrollment

The Huron School District 02-2 is the primary educational provider, serving 2,917 students across 10 different schools. The Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6 also serves the area with 359 students. No charter schools exist in the county, meaning education is delivered exclusively through traditional public districts.

Mixing Town Hubs and Rural Classrooms

Education here is split between six town-based schools in Huron and ten rural campuses, offering a mix of environments. Huron High School is the largest with 836 students, providing a traditional secondary experience, while the average school size across the county is 227 students. Students transition from focused primary centers like the Buchanan K-1 Center to more comprehensive middle and high schools.

School Overview

Total Schools

16

in Beadle County

Reported Enrollment

3,411

16 schools reporting

School Districts

2

districts

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary8
Middle3
High4
Other1

2 School Districts in Beadle County

Huron School District 02-2

10 schools
2,917 students

Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6

3 schools
359 students

16 Public Schools in Beadle 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 data

Level

Showing 16 of 16 matching schools

Huron High School - 01

Huron School District 02-2

Huron, 57350 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High836 students

Huron Middle School - 02

Huron School District 02-2

Huron, 57350 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle695 students

Buchanan K-1 Center - 18

Huron School District 02-2

Huron, 57350 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–1Primary463 students

Madison 2-3 Center - 19

Huron School District 02-2

Huron, 57350 / Town: Remote

Record2–3Primary437 students

Washington 4-5 Center - 20

Huron School District 02-2

Huron, 57350 / Town: Remote

Record4–5Primary429 students

Wolsey Wessington Elementary - 02

Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6

Wolsey, 57384 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary166 students

Wolsey Wessington High School - 01

Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6

Wolsey, 57384 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High110 students

Hitchcock-Tulare Elementary - 05

Hitchcock Tulare School District 56-6

Hitchcock, 57348 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary104 students

Wolsey Wessington Middle School - 03

Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6

Wolsey, 57384 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle83 students

Shamrock Colony Elementary - 05

Willow Lake School District 12-3

Willow Lake, 57278 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary20 students

Huron Colony Elementary - 13

Huron School District 02-2

Huron, 57350 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary17 students

Our Home ASAP - 12

Huron School District 02-2

Huron, 57350 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–12Alternative17 students

Riverside Colony Elementary - 15

Huron School District 02-2

Huron, 57350 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–8Primary15 students

Pearl Creek Colony Elementary - 05

Iroquois School District 02-3

Iroquois, 57353 / Rural: Remote

Record4–8Middle11 students

Our Home Rediscovery - 77

Huron School District 02-2

Huron, 57350 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–12Alternative8 students

McKinley Learning Center - 05

Huron School District 02-2

Huron, 57350 / Town: Remote

RecordPKOther0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,315

State avg $7,409

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Beadle 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 South Dakota counties have the highest graduation rates?
Deuel County (95.0%), Stanley County (95.0%), and Hamlin County (92.8%) currently lead South 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 South Dakota?
Across South Dakota counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,409. The highest current county values are Ziebach County ($13,420), Corson County ($10,486), and Sully County ($10,373). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Beadle County?
Beadle County has a school score of 15/100, which is a lower 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 Beadle County?
The high school graduation rate in Beadle County is 78.1%, 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 Beadle County spend per student?
Beadle County spends $6,315 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 Beadle County, South Dakota — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Beadle County, South Dakota?

Beadle County supports a significant student population of 3,411 across 16 public schools. The infrastructure includes eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools, primarily organized within two districts. This diverse system includes two alternative schools to support varied learning needs.

What are the major school districts in Beadle County, South Dakota?

The Huron School District 02-2 is the primary educational provider, serving 2,917 students across 10 different schools. The Wolsey Wessington School District 02-6 also serves the area with 359 students. No charter schools exist in the county, meaning education is delivered exclusively through traditional public districts.

What is the school experience like in Beadle County?

Education here is split between six town-based schools in Huron and ten rural campuses, offering a mix of environments. Huron High School is the largest with 836 students, providing a traditional secondary experience, while the average school size across the county is 227 students. Students transition from focused primary centers like the Buchanan K-1 Center to more comprehensive middle and high schools.

Counties with Similar School Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed 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.