West Central School District 49-7 operates six schools serving 1,386 students across rural Minnehaha County, South Dakota. The district demonstrates academic performance above state benchmarks, with 62.9% math proficiency compared to the state average of 46.7%, and 53.9% reading proficiency versus 46.8% statewide. The 95.0% graduation rate substantially exceeds South Dakota's 87.5% average, while the dropout rate of 0.5% is notably low.
Student engagement indicators show strong attendance patterns, with chronic absenteeism at only 1.8%. The demographic composition is predominantly white at 90.3%, with Hispanic students representing 2.9%, Asian students 0.1%, and Black students 1.2%. Special education enrollment stands at 16.9% of the student population, while 10.6% qualify as economically disadvantaged and 0.9% are English learners.
A notable financial consideration is that West Central spends $10,054 per pupil, considerably below the state average of $13,873. Despite this lower per-pupil spending, the district maintains achievement levels above state averages across tested metrics. The district's small size and rural location, combined with relatively low economic disadvantage rates and limited English learner populations, may contribute to these educational outcomes and resource efficiency.
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
1,386
Schools
6
Per-Pupil Spending
$10,054
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
62.9%
Staff counts are Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) from NCES 2024-25 data.
School Performance Index
66.4
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
53.3%
Students meeting growth standard
Math Progress
57.3%
Students meeting growth standard
ELA Proficiency
53.9%
7.1% above state avg
Math Proficiency
62.9%
16.2% above state avg
Graduation Rate
95.0%
7.5% above state avg
Chronic Absenteeism
1.8%
13.2% better than state avg
Composite
21.0
English
20.2
Math
20.0
Reading
21.8
Science
21.4
Attendance Rate
95.8%
FAY (Full Academic Year) students
Dropout Rate
0.5%
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.