schoolsbycounty

Jerauld County Schools & Education

Jerauld County, South Dakota

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

School Score

14/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

69.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

69.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 82.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,541

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,409

School Score

14/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 38/100

State Score Position

#60

of 65 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Jerauld County

Measured School Summary

Jerauld County faces educational challenges with a school score of 14/100 and a graduation rate of 69.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $6,541 per pupil, Jerauld County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 63% below the South Dakota average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 13.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 12% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Jerauld 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

7 public schools and 1 district 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

14/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #60 of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data.

Completion

69.0%

13.4 pts below the state average

Funding context

$6,541

$868 below the state average

School coverage

7

1 district 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

Jerauld County has 7 public schools across 1 district, 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.

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Parent decision brief

What Jerauld 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.

Small-system county

Jerauld County has a compact public-school footprint. A single school change, boundary rule, or district update can move the lived experience more than the county score suggests.

State position

#60

of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 24 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.

Wessington Springs School District 36-2

Elementary to high school visible

422 students

Elementary 3Middle 2High 2Other 0

7 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Wessington Springs School District 36-2 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 Jerauld County?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

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?

Education Overview

About Schools in Jerauld 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.

Comprehensive Rural School Network

Jerauld County hosts seven public schools, providing a robust mix of three elementary, two middle, and two high schools. Total enrollment reaches 422 students, all of whom are served by a single, unified school district. This diverse landscape of small schools ensures that students have access to various grade-level facilities within their rural community.

Wessington Springs Centralized District

The Wessington Springs School District 36-2 manages all seven schools and 422 students in Jerauld County. There are no charter schools in the region, keeping the public education system entirely under the direction of the local traditional district. The district also manages unique facilities like the Wessington Springs High School Cyber School to offer flexible learning options.

Diverse Locales and Intimate Sizes

All schools in the county are rural, with an average enrollment of just 60 students per school. Wessington Springs Elementary is the largest hub with 152 students, while the Spring Valley Colony Elementary serves only 24 students. The presence of specialized cyber and colony schools adds a unique character to this small-scale rural system.

School Overview

Total Schools

7

in Jerauld County

Reported Enrollment

422

7 schools reporting

School Districts

1

district

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary3
Middle2
High2
Other0

1 School District in Jerauld County

Wessington Springs School District 36-2

7 schools
422 students enrolled

7 Public Schools in Jerauld 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 7 of 7 matching schools

Wessington Springs Elementary - 02

Wessington Springs School District 36-2

Wessington Springs, 57382 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–6Primary152 students

Wessington Springs High School Cyber School - 92

Wessington Springs School District 36-2

Wessington Springs, 57382 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12Virtual92 students

Wessington Springs High School - 01

Wessington Springs School District 36-2

Wessington Springs, 57382 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High90 students

Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04

Wessington Springs School District 36-2

Wessington Springs, 57382 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Middle42 students

Spring Valley Colony Elementary - 05

Wessington Springs School District 36-2

Wessington Springs, 57382 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary24 students

Wessington Springs Elementary Cyber School - 94

Wessington Springs School District 36-2

Wessington Springs, 57382 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–6Virtual14 students

Wessington Springs Middle School Cyber School - 93

Wessington Springs School District 36-2

Wessington Springs, 57382 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Virtual8 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,541

State avg $7,409

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Jerauld County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

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Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

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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 Jerauld County?
Jerauld County has a school score of 14/100, 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 Jerauld County?
The high school graduation rate in Jerauld County is 69.0%, 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 Jerauld County spend per student?
Jerauld County spends $6,541 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 Jerauld County, South Dakota — FAQ

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

Jerauld County hosts seven public schools, providing a robust mix of three elementary, two middle, and two high schools. Total enrollment reaches 422 students, all of whom are served by a single, unified school district. This diverse landscape of small schools ensures that students have access to various grade-level facilities within their rural community.

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

The Wessington Springs School District 36-2 manages all seven schools and 422 students in Jerauld County. There are no charter schools in the region, keeping the public education system entirely under the direction of the local traditional district. The district also manages unique facilities like the Wessington Springs High School Cyber School to offer flexible learning options.

What is the school experience like in Jerauld County?

All schools in the county are rural, with an average enrollment of just 60 students per school. Wessington Springs Elementary is the largest hub with 152 students, while the Spring Valley Colony Elementary serves only 24 students. The presence of specialized cyber and colony schools adds a unique character to this small-scale rural system.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Butte County

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Beadle County

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+1 pts

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Pennington County

South Dakota

+1 pts

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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.

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