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

No. Use the Hutchinson 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 Hutchinson 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 Hutchinson County?

Start with the 19 listed public schools and 3 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Hutchinson County Schools & Education

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

Hutchinson County, South Dakota

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

School Score

57/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

89.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

89.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 82.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,290

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,409

School Score

57/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 38/100

State Score Position

#10

of 65 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Hutchinson County

Measured School Summary

Hutchinson County performs at an average level with a school score of 57/100 and a solid graduation rate of 89.0%.

Funding Context

Hutchinson County spends $8,290 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 49% above the South Dakota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 6.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 12% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Hutchinson 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

19 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

57/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #10 of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data.

Completion

89.0%

6.6 pts above the state average

Funding context

$8,290

$881 above 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

Hutchinson County has 19 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 Hutchinson 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

Hutchinson 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

#10

of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 19 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.

Parkston School District 33-3

Elementary to high school visible

582 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 3Other 0

7 listed schools in this county slice.

Freeman School District 33-1

Elementary to high school visible

404 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 1Other 0

5 listed schools in this county slice.

Tripp-Delmont School District 33-5

Elementary to high school visible

161 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Parkston School District 33-3 is the largest listed district slice, with 7 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 Hutchinson County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Hutchinson County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Hutchinson County Operates Nineteen Small Rural School Campuses

Education data brief for Hutchinson County, South Dakota.

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

Lead metric:District structure

Hutchinson County is notable for its high density of school facilities, operating 19 public schools for a total enrollment of 1,415 students. This results in a low average school size of 79 students per campus. The county's school mix includes one alternative school and a distribution across three districts, with Parkston School District 33-3 being the largest, serving 582 students across seven schools. The graduation rate in Hutchinson County is 89.0%, which is above the state average of 82.4% and the national benchmark of 87.0%. Per-pupil spending is $8,290, exceeding the state average of $7,409 but trailing the national average of $13,000. The composite school score is 56.6, higher than the state average of 38.3 and the national median of 50.0. No charter schools are present in the county. All schools are classified as rural. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions about local school governance.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in Hutchinson County

Reported Enrollment

1,415

19 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary9

Middle4

High6

Other0

3 School Districts in Hutchinson County

Parkston School District 33-3

7 schools

582 students

Freeman School District 33-1

5 schools

404 students

Tripp-Delmont School District 33-5

5 schools

184 students

19 Public Schools in Hutchinson 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 19 of 19 matching schools

Public schools in Hutchinson County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Parkston Elementary - 02	Record	Parkston School District 33-3	Parkston, 57366Rural: Remote	PK–5	Primary	280
Freeman Elementary - 02	Record	Freeman School District 33-1	Freeman, 57029Rural: Remote	KG–6	Primary	173
Parkston High School - 01	Record	Parkston School District 33-3	Parkston, 57366Rural: Remote	9–12	High	122
Parkston Middle School - 05	Record	Parkston School District 33-3	Parkston, 57366Rural: Remote	6–8	Middle	102
Tripp Elementary - 03	Record	Tripp-Delmont School District 33-5	Tripp, 57376Rural: Remote	PK–6	Primary	101
Freeman High School - 01	Record	Freeman School District 33-1	Freeman, 57029Rural: Remote	9–12	High	92
Menno Elementary - 02	Record	Menno School District 33-2	Menno, 57045Rural: Remote	PK–4	Primary	82
Menno High School - 01	Record	Menno School District 33-2	Menno, 57045Rural: Remote	9–12	High	74
Menno Middle School - 05	Record	Menno School District 33-2	Menno, 57045Rural: Remote	5–8	Middle	65
Freeman Jr High - 05	Record	Freeman School District 33-1	Freeman, 57029Rural: Remote	7–8	Middle	60
Maxwell Colony Elementary - 04	Record	Menno School District 33-2	Menno, 57045Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	47
Tripp-Delmont High School - 01	Record	Tripp-Delmont School District 33-5	Tripp, 57376Rural: Remote	9–12	High	45
Tschetter Colony Elementary - 03	Record	Freeman School District 33-1	Freeman, 57029Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	45
Wolf Creek Colony Elementary - 04	Record	Freeman School District 33-1	Freeman, 57029Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	34
Old Elm Spring Colony Elementary - 03	Record	Parkston School District 33-3	Parkston, 57366Rural: Remote	PK–8	Primary	32
Our Home	Record	Parkston School District 33-3	Parkston, 57366Rural: Remote	5–12	Alternative	24
New Elm Spring Colony Elementary - 08	Record	Parkston School District 33-3	Ethan, 57334Rural: Remote	PK–8	Primary	22
Tripp-Delmont Jr. High - 02	Record	Tripp-Delmont School District 33-5	Tripp, 57367Rural: Remote	7–8	Middle	15
Parkston Virtual School - 92	Record	Parkston School District 33-3	Parkston, 57366Rural: Remote	9–12	Virtual	0

Parkston Elementary - 02

Parkston School District 33-3

Parkston, 57366 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–5Primary280 students

Freeman Elementary - 02

Freeman School District 33-1

Freeman, 57029 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–6Primary173 students

Parkston High School - 01

Parkston School District 33-3

Parkston, 57366 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High122 students

Parkston Middle School - 05

Parkston School District 33-3

Parkston, 57366 / Rural: Remote

Record6–8Middle102 students

Tripp Elementary - 03

Tripp-Delmont School District 33-5

Tripp, 57376 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary101 students

Freeman High School - 01

Freeman School District 33-1

Freeman, 57029 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High92 students

Menno Elementary - 02

Menno School District 33-2

Menno, 57045 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–4Primary82 students

Menno High School - 01

Menno School District 33-2

Menno, 57045 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High74 students

Menno Middle School - 05

Menno School District 33-2

Menno, 57045 / Rural: Remote

Record5–8Middle65 students

Freeman Jr High - 05

Freeman School District 33-1

Freeman, 57029 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Middle60 students

Maxwell Colony Elementary - 04

Menno School District 33-2

Menno, 57045 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary47 students

Tripp-Delmont High School - 01

Tripp-Delmont School District 33-5

Tripp, 57376 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High45 students

Tschetter Colony Elementary - 03

Freeman School District 33-1

Freeman, 57029 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary45 students

Wolf Creek Colony Elementary - 04

Freeman School District 33-1

Freeman, 57029 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary34 students

Old Elm Spring Colony Elementary - 03

Parkston School District 33-3

Parkston, 57366 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–8Primary32 students

Our Home

Parkston School District 33-3

Parkston, 57366 / Rural: Remote

Record5–12Alternative24 students

New Elm Spring Colony Elementary - 08

Parkston School District 33-3

Ethan, 57334 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–8Primary22 students

Tripp-Delmont Jr. High - 02

Tripp-Delmont School District 33-5

Tripp, 57367 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Middle15 students

Parkston Virtual School - 92

Parkston School District 33-3

Parkston, 57366 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12Virtual0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,290

State avg $7,409

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Hutchinson 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 Hutchinson County?

Hutchinson County has a school score of 57/100, 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 Hutchinson County?

The high school graduation rate in Hutchinson County is 89.0%, 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 Hutchinson County spend per student?

Hutchinson County spends $8,290 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

Custer County

South Dakota

+1 pts

57/100

School score

Gregory County

South Dakota

-3 pts

54/100

School score

Miner County

South Dakota

-3 pts

54/100

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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