schoolsbycounty

Fall River County Schools & Education

School Score

11/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

67.1%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

67.1%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 82.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,278

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,409

School Score

11/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 38/100

State Score Position

#63

of 65 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Fall River County

Measured School Summary

Fall River County faces educational challenges with a school score of 11/100 and a graduation rate of 67.1%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,278 per pupil, Fall River County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 72% below the South Dakota average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 15.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 15% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Fall River 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

8 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

11/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #63 of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data.

Completion

67.1%

15.3 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,278

$1,131 below the state average

School coverage

8

3 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

Fall River County has 8 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.

Parent decision brief

What Fall River 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.

Review-carefully county

Fall River County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.

State position

#63

of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 27 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.

Hot Springs School District 23-2

Elementary to high school visible

773 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Edgemont School District 23-1

Elementary and high visible

147 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

Oelrichs School District 23-3

Elementary to high school visible

116 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Hot Springs School District 23-2 is the largest listed district slice, with 3 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 Fall River County?

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

Serving One Thousand Students

Fall River County operates eight public schools, including three elementary, two middle, and three high schools. This infrastructure supports 1,036 students across three different school districts.

Hot Springs Leads the County

Hot Springs School District 23-2 is the largest by far, with three schools and 773 students. No charter schools operate in the area, meaning all local students attend traditional district schools.

A Mix of Town and Country

The county features five rural schools and three town schools, with an average school size of 130 students. Hot Springs Elementary is the most populous with 331 students, whereas Oelrichs High School serves a small group of 47 students.

School Overview

Total Schools

8

in Fall River County

Reported Enrollment

1,036

8 schools reporting

School Districts

3

districts

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary3
Middle2
High3
Other0

3 School Districts in Fall River County

Hot Springs School District 23-2

3 schools
773 students

Edgemont School District 23-1

2 schools
147 students

Oelrichs School District 23-3

3 schools
116 students

8 Public Schools in Fall River 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 8 of 8 matching schools

Hot Springs Elementary - 02

Hot Springs School District 23-2

Hot Springs, 57747 / Town: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary331 students

Hot Springs High School - 01

Hot Springs School District 23-2

Hot Springs, 57747 / Town: Remote

Record9–12High255 students

Hot Springs Middle School - 06

Hot Springs School District 23-2

Hot Springs, 57747 / Town: Remote

Record6–8Middle187 students

Edgemont Elementary - 03

Edgemont School District 23-1

Edgemont, 57735 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary107 students

Oelrichs High School - 01

Oelrichs School District 23-3

Oelrichs, 57763 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High47 students

Oelrichs Elementary - 02

Oelrichs School District 23-3

Oelrichs, 57763 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary41 students

Edgemont High School - 01

Edgemont School District 23-1

Edgemont, 57735 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High40 students

Oelrichs Jr. High - 03

Oelrichs School District 23-3

Oelrichs, 57763 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle28 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,278

State avg $7,409

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Fall River 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 Fall River County?
Fall River County has a school score of 11/100, 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 Fall River County?
The high school graduation rate in Fall River County is 67.1%, 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 Fall River County spend per student?
Fall River County spends $6,278 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 Fall River County, South Dakota — FAQ

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

Fall River County operates eight public schools, including three elementary, two middle, and three high schools. This infrastructure supports 1,036 students across three different school districts.

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

Hot Springs School District 23-2 is the largest by far, with three schools and 773 students. No charter schools operate in the area, meaning all local students attend traditional district schools.

What is the school experience like in Fall River County?

The county features five rural schools and three town schools, with an average school size of 130 students. Hot Springs Elementary is the most populous with 331 students, whereas Oelrichs High School serves a small group of 47 students.

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.