Jones County Schools & Education
Jones County, South Dakota
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
36/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
75.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
75.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 82.4%
Per-Pupil Spending
$8,164
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,409
School Score
36/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 38/100
State Score Position
#39
of 65 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Jones County
Measured School Summary
Jones County faces educational challenges with a school score of 36/100 and a graduation rate of 75.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
Jones County spends $8,164 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 7% below the South Dakota average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 7.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 10% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Jones 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
3 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
36/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #39 of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data.
Completion
75.0%
7.4 pts below the state average
Funding context
$8,164
$755 above the state average
School coverage
3
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
Jones County has 3 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.
What Jones 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
Jones 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
#39
of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 2 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.
Jones County School District 37-3
Elementary to high school visible
184 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Jones County School District 37-3 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 Jones 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?
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
Jones County Graduation Rate Trails State and National Benchmarks
Education data brief for Jones County, South Dakota.
Jones County reports a public school graduation rate of 75.0%, which is lower than South Dakota’s state average of 82.4% and the national average of 87.0%. The county's public education is unified under the Jones County School District 37-3, which enrolls 184 students across three rural facilities: an elementary, a middle, and a high school. Jones County Elementary is the largest, with 79 students. The composite school score for the county is 35.5, slightly below the state average of 38.3 and the national median of 50.0. Per-pupil expenditure is $8,164, which is higher than the state average of $7,409 but remains lower than the national spending level of $13,000. All education within the county is conducted in rural settings with no charter school presence. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
3
in Jones County
Reported Enrollment
184
3 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Jones County
Jones County School District 37-3
3 Public Schools in Jones 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 dataLevel
Showing 3 of 3 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones County Elementary - 02 | Record | Jones County School District 37-3 | Murdo, 57559Rural: Remote | KG–4 | Primary | 79 |
| Jones County Middle School - 04 | Record | Jones County School District 37-3 | Murdo, 57559Rural: Remote | 5–8 | Middle | 54 |
| Jones County High School - 01 | Record | Jones County School District 37-3 | Murdo, 57559Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 51 |
Jones County Elementary - 02
Jones County School District 37-3
Murdo, 57559 / Rural: Remote
Jones County Middle School - 04
Jones County School District 37-3
Murdo, 57559 / Rural: Remote
Jones County High School - 01
Jones County School District 37-3
Murdo, 57559 / Rural: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$8,164
State avg $7,409
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Jones County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which South Dakota counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in South Dakota?
How should I read the school score in Jones County?
What is the graduation rate in Jones County?
How much does Jones County spend per student?
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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.