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

No. Use the Brookings 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 Brookings 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 Brookings County?

Start with the 18 listed public schools and 4 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Brookings County Schools & Education

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

Brookings County, South Dakota

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

School Score

46/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

90.8%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

90.8%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 82.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,929

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,409

School Score

46/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 38/100

State Score Position

#19

of 65 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Brookings County

Measured School Summary

Brookings County performs at an average level with a school score of 46/100 and a solid graduation rate of 90.8%.

Funding Context

At $6,929 per pupil, Brookings County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 22% above the South Dakota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 8.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 6% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Brookings 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

18 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

46/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #19 of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data.

Completion

90.8%

8.4 pts above the state average

Funding context

$6,929

$480 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

Brookings County has 18 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 Brookings 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

Brookings 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

#19

of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 8 points above 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.

Brookings School District 05-1

Elementary to high school visible

3,431 students

Elementary 4Middle 1High 1Other 0

6 listed schools in this county slice.

Sioux Valley School District 05-5

Elementary to high school visible

739 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Elkton School District 05-3

Elementary to high school visible

441 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 1Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

Deubrook Area School District 05-6

Elementary to high school visible

219 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Brookings School District 05-1 is the largest listed district slice, with 6 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 Brookings County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Brookings 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 Brookings 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.

An Educational Powerhouse in Brookings

Brookings County serves a large student body of 4,830 through 18 public schools organized into four districts. The infrastructure is well-balanced with ten elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools. This robust network supports one of the most significant educational populations in the state.

Vibrant Town Schools and Rural Outposts

The county features a mix of environments, with six town-based schools in the city of Brookings and 12 rural schools in the surrounding areas. Brookings High School is a major regional hub with 1,050 students, while the county average school size is 268. This diversity allows families to choose between a larger, resource-rich high school or smaller rural campuses.

School Overview

Total Schools

in Brookings County

Reported Enrollment

4,830

18 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary10

Middle4

High4

Other0

4 School Districts in Brookings County

Brookings School District 05-1

Sioux Valley School District 05-5

3 schools

739 students

Elkton School District 05-3

5 schools

441 students

Deubrook Area School District 05-6

5 schools

423 students

18 Public Schools in Brookings 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

Sort

Showing 18 of 18 matching schools

Public schools in Brookings County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Brookings High School - 01	Profile	Brookings School District 05-1	Brookings, 57006Town: Remote	9–12	High	1,050
George S. Mickelson Middle School - 02	Record	Brookings School District 05-1	Brookings, 57006Town: Remote	6–8	Middle	751
Camelot Intermediate - 06	Record	Brookings School District 05-1	Brookings, 57006Town: Remote	4–5	Primary	529
Dakota Prairie Elementary - 07	Record	Brookings School District 05-1	Brookings, 57006Town: Remote	KG–3	Primary	473
Sioux Valley Elementary - 02	Record	Sioux Valley School District 05-5	Volga, 57071Rural: Distant	KG–5	Primary	354
Medary Elementary - 05	Record	Brookings School District 05-1	Brookings, 57006Town: Remote	KG–3	Primary	323
Hillcrest Elementary - 04	Record	Brookings School District 05-1	Brookings, 57006Town: Remote	KG–3	Primary	305
Sioux Valley High School - 01	Record	Sioux Valley School District 05-5	Volga, 57071Rural: Distant	9–12	High	224
Elkton Elementary - 02	Record	Elkton School District 05-3	Elkton, 57026Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	206
Sioux Valley Middle School - 04	Record	Sioux Valley School District 05-5	Volga, 57071Rural: Distant	6–8	Middle	161
Elkton High School - 01	Record	Elkton School District 05-3	Elkton, 57026Rural: Remote	9–12	High	126
Deubrook High School - 01	Record	Deubrook Area School District 05-6	White, 57276Rural: Distant	9–12	High	113
Elkton Jr. High - 03	Record	Elkton School District 05-3	Elkton, 57026Rural: Remote	7–8	Middle	73
Deubrook Jr. High - 02	Record	Deubrook Area School District 05-6	White, 57276Rural: Distant	7–8	Middle	56
Norfeld Colony Elementary - 07	Record	Deubrook Area School District 05-6	White, 57276Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	27
Newdale Colony Elementary - 04	Record	Elkton School District 05-3	Elkton, 57026Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	23
Red Willow Colony School - 09	Record	Deubrook Area School District 05-6	White, 57275Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	23
Rolland Colony Elementary - 05	Record	Elkton School District 05-3	White, 57276Rural: Distant	KG–8	Primary	13

Brookings High School - 01

Brookings School District 05-1

Brookings, 57006 / Town: Remote

Profile9–12High1,050 students

George S. Mickelson Middle School - 02

Brookings School District 05-1

Brookings, 57006 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle751 students

Camelot Intermediate - 06

Brookings School District 05-1

Brookings, 57006 / Town: Remote

Record4–5Primary529 students

Dakota Prairie Elementary - 07

Brookings School District 05-1

Brookings, 57006 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–3Primary473 students

Sioux Valley Elementary - 02

Sioux Valley School District 05-5

Volga, 57071 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–5Primary354 students

Medary Elementary - 05

Brookings School District 05-1

Brookings, 57006 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–3Primary323 students

Hillcrest Elementary - 04

Brookings School District 05-1

Brookings, 57006 / Town: Remote

RecordKG–3Primary305 students

Sioux Valley High School - 01

Sioux Valley School District 05-5

Volga, 57071 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High224 students

Elkton Elementary - 02

Elkton School District 05-3

Elkton, 57026 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary206 students

Sioux Valley Middle School - 04

Sioux Valley School District 05-5

Volga, 57071 / Rural: Distant

Record6–8Middle161 students

Elkton High School - 01

Elkton School District 05-3

Elkton, 57026 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High126 students

Deubrook High School - 01

Deubrook Area School District 05-6

White, 57276 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High113 students

Elkton Jr. High - 03

Elkton School District 05-3

Elkton, 57026 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Middle73 students

Deubrook Jr. High - 02

Deubrook Area School District 05-6

White, 57276 / Rural: Distant

Record7–8Middle56 students

Norfeld Colony Elementary - 07

Deubrook Area School District 05-6

White, 57276 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary27 students

Newdale Colony Elementary - 04

Elkton School District 05-3

Elkton, 57026 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary23 students

Red Willow Colony School - 09

Deubrook Area School District 05-6

White, 57275 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary23 students

Rolland Colony Elementary - 05

Elkton School District 05-3

White, 57276 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–8Primary13 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,929

State avg $7,409

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Brookings 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 Brookings County?

Brookings County has a school score of 46/100, 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 Brookings County?

The high school graduation rate in Brookings County is 90.8%, which is above 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 Brookings County spend per student?

Brookings County spends $6,929 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 Brookings County, South Dakota — FAQ

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

What is the school experience like in Brookings County?

Counties with Similar School Profile

Campbell County

South Dakota

-1 pts

46/100

School score

Davison County

South Dakota

-1 pts

45/100

School score

Corson County

South Dakota

-1 pts

45/100

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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