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

No. Use the Hanson 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 Hanson 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 Hanson County?

Start with the 10 listed public schools and 2 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Hanson County Schools & Education

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

Hanson County, South Dakota

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

School Score

28/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

90.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

90.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 82.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,535

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,409

School Score

28/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 38/100

State Score Position

#49

of 65 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Hanson County

Measured School Summary

Despite a lower school score of 28/100, Hanson County maintains a strong graduation rate of 90.0%, suggesting effective student support systems.

Funding Context

At $5,535 per pupil, Hanson County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 26% below the South Dakota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 7.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 25% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Hanson 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 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

28/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #49 of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data.

Completion

90.0%

7.6 pts above the state average

Funding context

$5,535

$1,874 below the state average

School coverage

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

Hanson County has 10 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Hanson 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

Hanson School District 30-1 carries most of the listed public-school system, with 6 of 10 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#49

of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 10 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.

Hanson School District 30-1

Elementary to high school visible

396 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 2Other 0

6 listed schools in this county slice.

Bridgewater-Emery 30-3

Middle and high visible

171 students

Elementary 0Middle 1High 1Other 0

2 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Hanson School District 30-1 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 Hanson County?

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

Hanson County Operates Rural Schools With Minimal Per-Pupil Spending

Education data brief for Hanson County, South Dakota.

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

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

Hanson County reports a per-pupil expenditure of $5,535, one of the lower spending levels in the region. This figure is significantly below the South Dakota state average of $7,409 and less than half of the national average of $13,000. The county’s educational landscape consists of 10 schools, all rural, with an average enrollment of just 60 students per campus. The Hanson School District 30-1 is the larger of the two districts, serving 396 students across six schools. Despite the spending levels, the graduation rate stands at 90.0%, which is higher than the state average of 82.4% and the national benchmark of 87.0%. The composite school score is 28.3, which is lower than the state average of 38.3. Hanson Elementary is the largest school in the county, enrolling 135 students. Consult the NCES Common Core of Data for detailed school-level records.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in Hanson County

Reported Enrollment

604

10 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary5

Middle2

High3

Other0

2 School Districts in Hanson County

Hanson School District 30-1

6 schools

396 students

Bridgewater-Emery 30-3

3 schools

333 students

10 Public Schools in Hanson 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 Hanson County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Hanson Elementary - 06	Record	Hanson School District 30-1	Alexandria, 57311Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	135
Hanson High School - 01	Record	Hanson School District 30-1	Alexandria, 57311Rural: Remote	9–12	High	131
Bridgewater-Emery High School - 01	Record	Bridgewater-Emery 30-3	Emery, 57332Rural: Remote	9–12	High	100
Hanson Middle School - 02	Record	Hanson School District 30-1	Alexandria, 57311Rural: Remote	6–8	Middle	87
Bridgewater-Emery Middle School - 04	Record	Bridgewater-Emery 30-3	Emery, 57332Rural: Remote	6–8	Middle	71
Oaklane Colony Elementary - 05	Record	Hanson School District 30-1	Alexandria, 57311Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	31
Rosedale Colony Elementary - 11	Record	Mitchell School District 17-2	Mitchell, 57301Rural: Distant	KG–8	Primary	25
Rockport Colony Elementary- 10	Record	Mitchell School District 17-2	Alexandria, 57311Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	12
Hanson Colony Alternative High School - 07	Record	Hanson School District 30-1	Alexandria, 57311Rural: Distant	9–12	High	6
Millbrook Colony Elementary - 04	Record	Hanson School District 30-1	Alexandria, 57311Rural: Distant	KG–8	Primary	6

Hanson Elementary - 06

Hanson School District 30-1

Alexandria, 57311 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary135 students

Hanson High School - 01

Hanson School District 30-1

Alexandria, 57311 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High131 students

Bridgewater-Emery High School - 01

Bridgewater-Emery 30-3

Emery, 57332 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High100 students

Hanson Middle School - 02

Hanson School District 30-1

Alexandria, 57311 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle87 students

Bridgewater-Emery Middle School - 04

Bridgewater-Emery 30-3

Emery, 57332 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle71 students

Oaklane Colony Elementary - 05

Hanson School District 30-1

Alexandria, 57311 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary31 students

Rosedale Colony Elementary - 11

Mitchell School District 17-2

Mitchell, 57301 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–8Primary25 students

Rockport Colony Elementary- 10

Mitchell School District 17-2

Alexandria, 57311 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary12 students

Hanson Colony Alternative High School - 07

Hanson School District 30-1

Alexandria, 57311 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High6 students

Millbrook Colony Elementary - 04

Hanson School District 30-1

Alexandria, 57311 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–8Primary6 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,535

State avg $7,409

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Hanson 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 Hanson County?

Hanson County has a school score of 28/100, 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 Hanson County?

The high school graduation rate in Hanson County is 90.0%, 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 Hanson County spend per student?

Hanson County spends $5,535 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

Bennett County

South Dakota

+0 pts

29/100

School score

Todd County

South Dakota

+0 pts

29/100

School score

Haakon County

South Dakota

+1 pts

29/100

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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