Top Rankings
Pierre School District 32-2 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in South Dakota for:
Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 4 public elementary schools serving 1,880 students in Pierre School District 32-2. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public elementary schools in South Dakota.
Public Elementary Schools in Pierre School District 32-2 have an average math proficiency score of 49% (versus the South Dakota public elementary school average of 43%), and reading proficiency score of 51% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 34% of the student body (majority American Indian), which is less than the South Dakota public elementary school average of 36% (majority American Indian).
Overview
This School District
This State (SD)
# Schools
5 Schools
497 Schools
# Students
2,688 Students
101,009 Students
# Teachers
171 Teachers
7,507 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Pierre School District 32-2, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 146 school districts in South Dakota (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 90% has increased from 85-89% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#53 out of 148 school districts
(Top 50%)
(Top 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
50%
42%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
53%
51%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
49%
42%
Graduation Rate
90%
82%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.52
0.55
% American Indian
14%
17%
% Asian
1%
2%
% Hispanic
5%
8%
% Black
1%
3%
% White
67%
64%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
12%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $12,411 in this school district is less than the state median of $13,121. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $11,044 is less than the state median of $12,623. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$33 MM
$1,916 MM
Spending
$30 MM
$1,844 MM
Revenue / Student
$12,411
$13,121
Spending / Student
$11,044
$12,623
Best Pierre School District 32-2 Public Elementary Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Buchanan Elementary - 03
(Math: 56% | Reading: 59%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
100 N Buchanan Ave
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-7310
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-7310
Grades: K-5
| 422 students
Rank: #22.
Kennedy Elementary - 08
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
2306 Brookstone Loop
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-7370
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-7370
Grades: K-5
| 394 students
Rank: #33.
Jefferson Elementary - 06
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
900 N Poplar Ave
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-7320
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-7320
Grades: K-5
| 383 students
Rank: #44.
Georgia Morse Middle School - 02
(Math: 46% | Reading: 49%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
309 E Capitol Ave
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-7330
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-7330
Grades: 6-8
| 681 students
Recent Articles
Parents’ Guide to Special Education
Special education law is not easy to decipher, with several regulations that govern special education services for disabled students. In this article, learn about the core components of the laws, rights, and individual education plans that can help create the best public school environment for your child.
Surveillance Cameras: Violation of Rights or Improved Security?
A school district in Virginia has given the green light to schools that want to install surveillance cameras in common areas like cafeterias and hallways. We’ll look at whether this is a violation of student privacy or the best way to keep order in schools.
Teachers in 19 States Allowed to Physically Punish Students
As of 2014, nineteen states still allow corporal punishment – spanking and paddling the most common choices – in their public schools. However, some argue that not only are these punishments physically harmful, they also are disproportionately administered to students of color. As a result, House democrats have taken up the issue in a new bill that would ban all forms of corporal punishment nationwide.
