Brandon Valley School District 49-2 serves approximately 5,155 students across 12 schools in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, operating in a town locale. The district demonstrates strong academic performance in core subjects, with math proficiency at 66.9% and reading proficiency at 69.9%, both substantially exceeding the state averages of 46.7% and 46.8% respectively. However, the graduation rate of 66.7% falls notably below South Dakota's state average of 87.5%, suggesting potential gaps between elementary and secondary outcomes. The dropout rate of 1.1% remains relatively low.
The district serves a predominantly white student population at 81.3%, with smaller percentages of Black students (5.5%), Hispanic students (5.2%), and Asian students (1.9%). Student support needs include 12.1% economically disadvantaged students, 3.7% English learners, and 16.0% students with disabilities. Chronic absenteeism is present at 8.2%.
Financially, Brandon Valley operates with per-pupil spending of $9,781, which is notably lower than the state average of $13,873. This represents approximately a 29% funding gap compared to state benchmarks. The combination of above-average proficiency scores achieved with below-average per-pupil spending, alongside the lower graduation rate, suggests the district may face capacity or resource allocation challenges at the secondary level that warrant further examination.
This summary was generated by AI from public data sources. Last updated May 4, 2026.
This data is aggregated from state and federal public datasets. While we believe it is accurate, we always recommend confirming it on the corresponding state or federal site. See Data Notes for more.
Total Students
5,155
Schools
12
Per-Pupil Spending
$9,781
Data Sources: NCES Common Core of Data, NCES F-33 Finance Survey, EDFacts
State Data Year: 2024-25
Note: Some data may be unavailable for certain districts or years. Proficiency rates reflect state-specific assessment standards.
Math Proficiency
66.9%
Staff counts are Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) from NCES 2024-25 data.
School Performance Index
79.8
out of 100 points
South Dakota uses the School Performance Index (SPI) to measure school quality on a 0-100 point scale. The SPI considers multiple factors including student proficiency, academic growth, graduation rates, attendance, and English learner progress.
Percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards on South Dakota state assessments
Percentage of students meeting expected academic growth
ELA Progress
79.1%
Students meeting growth standard
Math Progress
90.4%
Students meeting growth standard
ELA Proficiency
69.9%
23.1% above state avg
Math Proficiency
66.9%
20.2% above state avg
Graduation Rate
66.7%
20.8% below state avg
Chronic Absenteeism
8.2%
6.8% better than state avg
Composite
23.1
English
21.8
Math
23.2
Reading
23.7
Science
23.2
Attendance Rate
95.5%
FAY (Full Academic Year) students
Dropout Rate
1.1%
Grades 7-12
South Dakota evaluates schools using the School Performance Index (SPI), a comprehensive 0-100 point measure. The SPI incorporates student achievement, academic growth, graduation rates, attendance, and English learner progress. Schools and districts work toward continuous improvement under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) framework.