Douglas School District 51-1 serves 2,846 students across 5 schools in Pennington County, South Dakota, operating as a town-locale district. The district demonstrates stable enrollment in a community with moderate economic challenges, as 29.2% of students qualify as economically disadvantaged.
Academic performance metrics indicate below-state-average achievement across multiple indicators. Math proficiency stands at 28.0% compared to the state average of 46.7%, representing a 18.7 percentage point gap. Reading proficiency of 43.2% falls slightly below the state average of 46.8%. The graduation rate of 85.2% trails the state average of 87.5% by 2.3 percentage points, though the dropout rate of 3.7% remains relatively contained.
Chronic absenteeism presents a notable concern at 28.8%, significantly exceeding typical district benchmarks. The student population includes 17.6% students with disabilities, 1.2% English learners, and 29.2% economically disadvantaged students. Racial composition reflects 65.0% White, 11.7% Hispanic, 1.8% Black, and 0.4% Asian students.
Financial resources show meaningful constraints. Per-pupil spending of $11,667 falls $2,206 below the state average of $13,873, a 15.9% differential. This funding gap may impact resource allocation for academic support services, particularly given the high proportion of economically disadvantaged students and students with disabilities served by the district.
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
2,846
Schools
5
Per-Pupil Spending
$11,667
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
28.0%
Staff counts are Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) from NCES 2024-25 data.
School Performance Index
63.0
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
46.3%
Students meeting growth standard
Math Progress
35.6%
Students meeting growth standard
ELA Proficiency
43.2%
3.6% below state avg
Math Proficiency
28.0%
18.7% below state avg
Graduation Rate
85.2%
2.3% below state avg
Chronic Absenteeism
28.8%
13.8% above state avg
Composite
21.2
English
19.4
Math
21.2
Reading
22.8
Science
21.1
Attendance Rate
91.4%
FAY (Full Academic Year) students
Dropout Rate
3.7%
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.