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

No. Use the Meade 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 Meade 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 Meade County?

Start with the 16 listed public schools and 3 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Meade County Schools & Education

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

Meade County, South Dakota

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

School Score

13/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

82.9%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

82.9%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 82.4%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,697

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,409

School Score

13/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 38/100

State Score Position

#61

of 65 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Meade County

Measured School Summary

Meade County faces educational challenges with a school score of 13/100 and a graduation rate of 82.9%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $5,697 per pupil, Meade County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 67% below the South Dakota average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 0.5 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 23% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Meade 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

16 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

13/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #61 of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data.

Completion

82.9%

0.5 pts above the state average

Funding context

$5,697

$1,712 below the state average

School coverage

3 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

Meade County has 16 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 Meade 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

Meade School District 46-1 carries most of the listed public-school system, with 11 of 16 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#61

of 65 South Dakota counties with school score data. The county score is 25 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.

Meade School District 46-1

Elementary to high school visible

2,959 students

Elementary 7Middle 2High 1Other 0

10 listed schools in this county slice.

Faith School District 46-2

Elementary to high school visible

184 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Black Hills Special Services Cooperative

Other grade structure

0 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 0Other 1

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Meade School District 46-1 is the largest listed district slice, with 11 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 Meade County?

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

Meade County Per-Pupil Spending Below Half of National Average

Education data brief for Meade County, South Dakota.

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

Lead metric:Per-pupil spending

Per-pupil expenditure in Meade County is $5,697, representing less than half of the national average of $13,000 and trailing the South Dakota state average of $7,409. The county serves 3,513 students across 16 schools, with a mix of rural, town, and suburban locales. The Meade School District 46-1 is the largest, enrolling 3,068 students across 11 schools, including Sturgis Brown High School, which is the largest facility with 842 students. The county’s composite school score is 12.5, which is significantly lower than the state average of 38.3 and the national median of 50.0. Despite the lower funding and composite score, the graduation rate is 82.9%, which is slightly higher than the state average of 82.4% but below the national average of 87.0%. One special education school and no charter schools are present. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

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

School Overview

Total Schools

in Meade County

Reported Enrollment

3,513

16 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary10

Middle3

High2

Other1

3 School Districts in Meade County

Meade School District 46-1

11 schools

3,068 students

Faith School District 46-2

4 schools

184 students

Black Hills Special Services Cooperative

3 schools

0 students

16 Public Schools in Meade 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

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Showing 16 of 16 matching schools

Public schools in Meade County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Sturgis Brown High School - 01	Record	Meade School District 46-1	Sturgis, 57785Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	842
Sturgis Elementary - 03	Record	Meade School District 46-1	Sturgis, 57785Town: Distant	KG–4	Primary	552
Piedmont Valley Elementary - 05	Record	Meade School District 46-1	Piedmont, 57769Rural: Fringe	KG–4	Primary	523
Sturgis Williams Middle School - 02	Record	Meade School District 46-1	Sturgis, 57785Town: Distant	5–8	Middle	489
Stagebarn Middle School - 10	Record	Meade School District 46-1	Summerset, 57769Rural: Fringe	5–8	Middle	457
Black Hawk Elementary - 03	Record	Rapid City Area School District 51-4	Blackhawk, 57718Suburb: Small	KG–5	Primary	370
Faith High School - 01	Record	Faith School District 46-2	Faith, 57626Rural: Remote	9–12	High	80
Faith Elementary - 02	Record	Faith School District 46-2	Faith, 57626Rural: Remote	KG–6	Primary	64
Central Meade County School - 09	Record	Meade School District 46-1	Whitewood, 57793Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	56
Faith Jr. High - 06	Record	Faith School District 46-2	Faith, 57626Rural: Remote	7–8	Middle	26
Maurine Elementary - 04	Record	Faith School District 46-2	Faith, 57626Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	14
Opal Elementary - 15	Record	Meade School District 46-1	Whitewood, 57793Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	14
Hereford Elementary - 08	Record	Meade School District 46-1	Whitewood, 57793Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	11
Atall Elementary - 17	Record	Meade School District 46-1	Whitewood, 57793Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	9
Elm Springs Elementary - 13	Record	Meade School District 46-1	Whitewood, 57793Rural: Remote	KG–8	Primary	6
Developmental Disabilities Program - 01	Record	Black Hills Special Services Cooperative	Sturgis, 57785Town: Distant	PK–12	Special Education	0

Sturgis Brown High School - 01

Meade School District 46-1

Sturgis, 57785 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High842 students

Sturgis Elementary - 03

Meade School District 46-1

Sturgis, 57785 / Town: Distant

RecordKG–4Primary552 students

Piedmont Valley Elementary - 05

Meade School District 46-1

Piedmont, 57769 / Rural: Fringe

RecordKG–4Primary523 students

Sturgis Williams Middle School - 02

Meade School District 46-1

Sturgis, 57785 / Town: Distant

Record5–8Middle489 students

Stagebarn Middle School - 10

Meade School District 46-1

Summerset, 57769 / Rural: Fringe

Record5–8Middle457 students

Black Hawk Elementary - 03

Rapid City Area School District 51-4

Blackhawk, 57718 / Suburb: Small

RecordKG–5Primary370 students

Faith High School - 01

Faith School District 46-2

Faith, 57626 / Rural: Remote

Record9–12High80 students

Faith Elementary - 02

Faith School District 46-2

Faith, 57626 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–6Primary64 students

Central Meade County School - 09

Meade School District 46-1

Whitewood, 57793 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary56 students

Faith Jr. High - 06

Faith School District 46-2

Faith, 57626 / Rural: Remote

Record7–8Middle26 students

Maurine Elementary - 04

Faith School District 46-2

Faith, 57626 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary14 students

Opal Elementary - 15

Meade School District 46-1

Whitewood, 57793 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary14 students

Hereford Elementary - 08

Meade School District 46-1

Whitewood, 57793 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary11 students

Atall Elementary - 17

Meade School District 46-1

Whitewood, 57793 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary9 students

Elm Springs Elementary - 13

Meade School District 46-1

Whitewood, 57793 / Rural: Remote

RecordKG–8Primary6 students

Developmental Disabilities Program - 01

Black Hills Special Services Cooperative

Sturgis, 57785 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–12Special Education0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,697

State avg $7,409

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Meade 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 Meade County?

Meade County has a school score of 13/100, 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 Meade County?

The high school graduation rate in Meade County is 82.9%, 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 Meade County spend per student?

Meade County spends $5,697 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

Clay County

South Dakota

-0 pts

12/100

School score

Jerauld County

South Dakota

+1 pts

14/100

School score

Fall River County

South Dakota

-2 pts

11/100

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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