Watertown School District 14-4 serves 3,366 students across 10 schools in Codington County, South Dakota, operating as a town-locale district. The district demonstrates notable academic performance in foundational subjects, with math proficiency at 67.8% compared to the state average of 46.7%, representing a 21.1 percentage-point advantage. Reading proficiency at 55.3% exceeds the state average of 46.8% by 8.5 percentage points. The graduation rate of 85.8% falls slightly below the state average of 87.5%, while the dropout rate of 1.3% and chronic absenteeism rate of 2.2% indicate relatively low disengagement.
The student population includes 26.8% economically disadvantaged students and 18.2% students with disabilities, reflecting above-average needs in these categories. English learners represent 3.7% of enrollment. Racial demographics show 80.1% White students, with Hispanic students comprising 8.1%, and smaller populations of Asian and Black students.
Financial operations present a notable consideration: per-pupil spending of $10,137 falls substantially below the state average of $13,873, representing a difference of $3,736 per student annually. This spending differential occurs alongside relatively strong academic results, suggesting operational efficiency or resource allocation strategies that merit examination in relation to long-term sustainability and program capacity.
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
3,366
Schools
10
Per-Pupil Spending
$10,137
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
67.8%
Staff counts are Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) from NCES 2024-25 data.
School Performance Index
64.4
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
52.9%
Students meeting growth standard
Math Progress
65.9%
Students meeting growth standard
ELA Proficiency
55.3%
8.5% above state avg
Math Proficiency
67.8%
21.1% above state avg
Graduation Rate
85.8%
Near state average
Chronic Absenteeism
2.2%
12.8% better than state avg
Composite
22.0
English
21.7
Math
21.8
Reading
22.4
Science
21.4
Attendance Rate
93.3%
FAY (Full Academic Year) students
Dropout Rate
1.3%
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.