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

No. Use the Hamlin 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 Hamlin 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 Hamlin County?

Start with the 10 listed public schools and 3 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Hamlin County Schools & Education

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

Hamlin County, South Dakota

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

School Score

40/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

92.8%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

92.8%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 82.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,568

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,409

School Score

40/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 38/100

State Score Position

#31

of 65 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Hamlin County

Measured School Summary

Hamlin County performs at an average level with a school score of 40/100 and a solid graduation rate of 92.8%.

Funding Context

At $5,568 per pupil, Hamlin County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 5% above the South Dakota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 10.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 25% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Hamlin 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

10 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

40/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #31 of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data.

Completion

92.8%

10.4 pts above the state average

Funding context

$5,568

$1,841 below the state average

School coverage

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

Hamlin County has 10 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Hamlin 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

Hamlin 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

#31

of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 2 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.

Hamlin School District 28-3

Elementary to high school visible

870 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Castlewood School District 28-1

Elementary to high school visible

334 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Estelline School District 28-2

Elementary to high school visible

274 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Castlewood School District 28-1 is the largest listed district slice, with 4 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 Hamlin County?

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

Data Story

Hamlin County Graduation Rate Surpasses State and National Benchmarks

Education data brief for Hamlin County, South Dakota.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Graduation rate

Hamlin County reports a graduation rate of 92.8%, a figure that is more than 10 percentage points higher than the South Dakota state average of 82.4% and significantly above the national average of 87.0%. The county's 1,478 students are spread across 10 rural schools managed by three districts, with the Hamlin School District 28-3 serving as the largest entity with 870 students. Financial data shows a per-pupil expenditure of $5,568, which is lower than the state average of $7,409 and less than half of the national average of $13,000. The county's composite school score of 40.0 is slightly above the state average of 38.3 but below the national median of 50.0. There are no charter schools within the county boundaries. Hamlin Elementary is the largest individual school, enrolling 451 students. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions about specific attendance zones.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Hamlin County

Reported Enrollment

1,478

10 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary4

Middle3

High3

Other0

3 School Districts in Hamlin County

Hamlin School District 28-3

3 schools

870 students

Castlewood School District 28-1

4 schools

334 students

Estelline School District 28-2

3 schools

274 students

10 Public Schools in Hamlin 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

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 10 of 10 matching schools

Public schools in Hamlin County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Hamlin Elementary - 09	Record	Hamlin School District 28-3	Hayti, 57241Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	451
Hamlin High School - 01	Record	Hamlin School District 28-3	Hayti, 57241Rural: Remote	9–12	High	233
Hamlin Middle School - 02	Record	Hamlin School District 28-3	Hayti, 57241Rural: Remote	6–8	Middle	186
Castlewood Elementary - 02	Record	Castlewood School District 28-1	Castlewood, 57223Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	154
Estelline Elementary - 02	Record	Estelline School District 28-2	Estelline, 57234Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	133
Castlewood High School - 01	Record	Castlewood School District 28-1	Castlewood, 57223Rural: Remote	9–12	High	91
Estelline High School - 01	Record	Estelline School District 28-2	Estelline, 57234Rural: Remote	9–12	High	79
Castlewood Middle School - 03	Record	Castlewood School District 28-1	Castlewood, 57223Rural: Remote	6–8	Middle	75
Estelline Middle School - 03	Record	Estelline School District 28-2	Estelline, 57234Rural: Remote	6–8	Middle	62
Claremont Colony Elementary - 04	Record	Castlewood School District 28-1	Castlewood, 57223Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	14

Hamlin Elementary - 09

Hamlin School District 28-3

Hayti, 57241 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary451 students

Hamlin High School - 01

Hamlin School District 28-3

Hayti, 57241 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High233 students

Hamlin Middle School - 02

Hamlin School District 28-3

Hayti, 57241 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle186 students

Castlewood Elementary - 02

Castlewood School District 28-1

Castlewood, 57223 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary154 students

Estelline Elementary - 02

Estelline School District 28-2

Estelline, 57234 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary133 students

Castlewood High School - 01

Castlewood School District 28-1

Castlewood, 57223 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High91 students

Estelline High School - 01

Estelline School District 28-2

Estelline, 57234 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High79 students

Castlewood Middle School - 03

Castlewood School District 28-1

Castlewood, 57223 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle75 students

Estelline Middle School - 03

Estelline School District 28-2

Estelline, 57234 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle62 students

Claremont Colony Elementary - 04

Castlewood School District 28-1

Castlewood, 57223 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary14 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,568

State avg $7,409

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Hamlin 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 Hamlin County?

Hamlin County has a school score of 40/100, 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 Hamlin County?

The high school graduation rate in Hamlin County is 92.8%, 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 Hamlin County spend per student?

Hamlin County spends $5,568 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.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Mellette County

South Dakota

+0 pts

40/100

School score

Bon Homme County

South Dakota

+1 pts

41/100

School score

McPherson County

South Dakota

+1 pts

41/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 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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