Kingsbury County Schools & Education
Kingsbury County, South Dakota
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
50/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
87.7%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
87.7%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 82.4%
Per-Pupil Spending
$7,991
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,409
School Score
50/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 38/100
State Score Position
#17
of 65 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Kingsbury County
Measured School Summary
Kingsbury County performs at an average level with a school score of 50/100 and a solid graduation rate of 87.7%.
Funding Context
At $7,991 per pupil, Kingsbury County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 33% above the South Dakota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 5.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 8% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Kingsbury 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
15 public schools and 4 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
50/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #17 of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data.
Completion
87.7%
5.3 pts above the state average
Funding context
$7,991
$582 above the state average
School coverage
15
4 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
Kingsbury County has 15 public schools across 4 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.
What Kingsbury 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
Kingsbury 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
#17
of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 12 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.
De Smet School District 38-2
Elementary to high school visible
327 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Arlington School District 38-1
Elementary to high school visible
303 students
4 listed schools in this county slice.
Iroquois School District 02-3
Elementary to high school visible
230 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Lake Preston School District 38-3
Elementary to high school visible
187 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Arlington School District 38-1 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 Kingsbury County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Kingsbury 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?
Education Overview
About Schools in Kingsbury 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.
A Broad Network of Rural Schools
Kingsbury County maintains an extensive educational network of 15 public schools, including five elementary, four middle, and five high schools. These schools serve 1,082 students and are distributed across four distinct school districts. This variety of districts and school levels offers a wide range of local options for families.
Exploring the Four Local Districts
Public education is split between four districts, with the Arlington School District 38-1 and De Smet School District 38-2 being the largest. There are no charter schools in the county, so the 1,082 students are entirely served by these traditional public districts. This multi-district setup allows for specialized focus and local control within different parts of the county.
Classic Rural Learning across the County
All 15 schools in the county are in rural settings, maintaining a comfortable average size of 72 students per school. Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary in De Smet is the largest campus with 163 students, while several smaller high schools anchor their respective towns. The school experience here is characterized by strong town identity and small class sizes.
School Overview
Total Schools
15
in Kingsbury County
Reported Enrollment
1,082
15 schools reporting
School Districts
4
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
4 School Districts in Kingsbury County
De Smet School District 38-2
Arlington School District 38-1
Iroquois School District 02-3
Lake Preston School District 38-3
15 Public Schools in Kingsbury 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 15 of 15 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02 | Record | De Smet School District 38-2 | De Smet, 57231Rural: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 163 |
| Arlington Elementary - 02 | Record | Arlington School District 38-1 | Arlington, 57212Rural: Remote | KG–6 | Primary | 155 |
| Iroquois Elementary - 04 | Record | Iroquois School District 02-3 | Iroquois, 57353Rural: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 115 |
| Lake Preston Elementary - 02 | Record | Lake Preston School District 38-3 | Lake Preston, 57249Rural: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 102 |
| Arlington High School - 01 | Record | Arlington School District 38-1 | Arlington, 57212Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 88 |
| De Smet High School - 01 | Record | De Smet School District 38-2 | De Smet, 57231Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 82 |
| De Smet Middle School - 03 | Record | De Smet School District 38-2 | De Smet, 57231Rural: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 82 |
| Iroquois High School - 01 | Record | Iroquois School District 02-3 | Iroquois, 57353Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 66 |
| Iroquois Middle School - 02 | Record | Iroquois School District 02-3 | Iroquois, 57353Rural: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 49 |
| Lake Preston High School - 01 | Record | Lake Preston School District 38-3 | Lake Preston, 57249Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 49 |
| Arlington Jr. High - 03 | Record | Arlington School District 38-1 | Arlington, 57212Rural: Remote | 7–8 | Middle | 38 |
| Lake Preston Middle School - 03 | Record | Lake Preston School District 38-3 | Lake Preston, 57249Rural: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 36 |
| Arlington Preschool - 04 | Record | Arlington School District 38-1 | Arlington, 57212Rural: Remote | PK | Other | 22 |
| Spring Lake Colony Elementary - 04 | Record | Oldham - Ramona School District 39-5 | Arlington, 57212Rural: Remote | KG–8 | Primary | 22 |
| Spring Lake Colony High School - 05 | Record | Oldham - Ramona School District 39-5 | Arlington, 57212Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 13 |
Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02
De Smet School District 38-2
De Smet, 57231 / Rural: Remote
Arlington Elementary - 02
Arlington School District 38-1
Arlington, 57212 / Rural: Remote
Iroquois Elementary - 04
Iroquois School District 02-3
Iroquois, 57353 / Rural: Remote
Lake Preston Elementary - 02
Lake Preston School District 38-3
Lake Preston, 57249 / Rural: Remote
Arlington High School - 01
Arlington School District 38-1
Arlington, 57212 / Rural: Remote
De Smet High School - 01
De Smet School District 38-2
De Smet, 57231 / Rural: Remote
De Smet Middle School - 03
De Smet School District 38-2
De Smet, 57231 / Rural: Remote
Iroquois High School - 01
Iroquois School District 02-3
Iroquois, 57353 / Rural: Remote
Iroquois Middle School - 02
Iroquois School District 02-3
Iroquois, 57353 / Rural: Remote
Lake Preston High School - 01
Lake Preston School District 38-3
Lake Preston, 57249 / Rural: Remote
Arlington Jr. High - 03
Arlington School District 38-1
Arlington, 57212 / Rural: Remote
Lake Preston Middle School - 03
Lake Preston School District 38-3
Lake Preston, 57249 / Rural: Remote
Arlington Preschool - 04
Arlington School District 38-1
Arlington, 57212 / Rural: Remote
Spring Lake Colony Elementary - 04
Oldham - Ramona School District 39-5
Arlington, 57212 / Rural: Remote
Spring Lake Colony High School - 05
Oldham - Ramona School District 39-5
Arlington, 57212 / Rural: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$7,991
State avg $7,409
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Kingsbury 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 Kingsbury County?
What is the graduation rate in Kingsbury County?
How much does Kingsbury County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Kingsbury County, South Dakota — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Kingsbury County, South Dakota?
Kingsbury County maintains an extensive educational network of 15 public schools, including five elementary, four middle, and five high schools. These schools serve 1,082 students and are distributed across four distinct school districts. This variety of districts and school levels offers a wide range of local options for families.
What are the major school districts in Kingsbury County, South Dakota?
Public education is split between four districts, with the Arlington School District 38-1 and De Smet School District 38-2 being the largest. There are no charter schools in the county, so the 1,082 students are entirely served by these traditional public districts. This multi-district setup allows for specialized focus and local control within different parts of the county.
What is the school experience like in Kingsbury County?
All 15 schools in the county are in rural settings, maintaining a comfortable average size of 72 students per school. Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary in De Smet is the largest campus with 163 students, while several smaller high schools anchor their respective towns. The school experience here is characterized by strong town identity and small class sizes.
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.