Sioux Falls School District 49-5 serves 24,050 students across 48 schools in South Dakota's largest city, making it the state's largest urban district. The district demonstrates academic performance notably above state benchmarks, with 61.2% math proficiency compared to the state average of 46.7%, and 65.7% reading proficiency versus 46.8% statewide. The graduation rate of 88.8% modestly exceeds South Dakota's 87.5% average, while the dropout rate of 2.7% and chronic absenteeism rate of 2.8% both indicate relatively low disengagement.
The student population reflects significant demographic diversity for South Dakota. White students represent 54.8% of enrollment, while Hispanic students comprise 16.8%, Black students 13.1%, and Asian students 2.3%. The district serves 41.1% economically disadvantaged students, 12.9% English learners, and 16.3% students with disabilities, indicating a student body with substantial support needs relative to statewide composition.
Per-pupil spending of $11,539 falls below South Dakota's average of $13,873, suggesting the district operates with fewer resources per student than the state norm while achieving above-average academic results. This spending differential may reflect the district's urban setting and economies of scale in serving a large enrollment concentration compared to smaller rural districts.
This summary was generated by AI from public data sources. Last updated May 5, 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
24,050
Schools
48
Per-Pupil Spending
$11,539
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
61.2%
Staff counts are Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) from NCES 2024-25 data.
School Performance Index
56.3
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
60.5%
Students meeting growth standard
Math Progress
52.3%
Students meeting growth standard
ELA Proficiency
65.7%
18.9% above state avg
Math Proficiency
61.2%
14.5% above state avg
Graduation Rate
88.8%
Near state average
Chronic Absenteeism
2.8%
12.2% better than state avg
Composite
22.0
English
20.7
Math
22.2
Reading
22.5
Science
22.2
Attendance Rate
91.8%
FAY (Full Academic Year) students
Dropout Rate
2.7%
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.