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Best Public Schools in Buffalo, SD

At a glance

Schools

227

Students

5-star school

Top rankedHarding County High School - 0114^th of 166 South Dakota high schools

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Biggest riser

Harding County High School - 01 up 86 spots statewide this year

Compare South Dakota cities →See the top-ranked South Dakota schools →

Summary:

The city of Buffalo, South Dakota is home to three schools that serve students from elementary through high school: Buffalo Elementary - 02, Harding County High School - 01, and Harding County Middle School - 03. These schools, part of the Harding County School District 31-1, vary in size and performance, with Harding County High School and Harding County Middle School standing out as exceptional institutions.

Harding County High School - 01 is a standout, ranking 14th out of 166 South Dakota high schools and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school boasts impressive 11th-grade test scores, with 84.61% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 53.84% in Mathematics, significantly outperforming the state averages. Additionally, Harding County High School maintains a high 4-year graduation rate of 86.4% and a low dropout rate of 2.6%.

Harding County Middle School - 03 also shines, ranking 40th out of 246 South Dakota middle schools and earning a 4-star rating. The school consistently performs well on Smarter Balanced Assessments, often exceeding the district and state averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, particularly in 8th grade where 75% of students are proficient or better in English Language Arts and 70% in Mathematics.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2025)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2025)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Buffalo Elementary - 02	Public	K-5	12474 Tipperary St	Buffalo	57720	Harding County	Harding County School District 31-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 375-3241	101	10	10.3	25.7%	96 (95.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	3 (3.0%)	59.6	127^th of 300 public elementary schools	57.7%		53.1	102^nd of 201 public elementary schools	49.3%	25	38.9	70.0	33.3					51.1	38.9	65.0	44.4					51.1	55.6			$16,820	$875	$15,945
Harding County High School - 01	Public	9-12	12474 Tipperary St	Buffalo	57720	Harding County	Harding County School District 31-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 375-3241	66	7	9.5	22.7%	65 (98.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.5%)	85	14^th of 166 public high schools	91.6%		33.1	100^th of 141 public high schools	29.1%	86							84.6								53.8				61.5	$18,767	$853	$17,914
Harding County Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	12474 Tipperary St	Buffalo	57720	Harding County	Harding County School District 31-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 375-3241	60	4	15.0	33.3%	60 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	73.7	40^th of 246 public middle schools	83.7%		59.7	53^rd of 147 public middle schools	63.9%	13				52.4	52.6	75.0		60.0				47.6	52.6	70.0		56.7		60.0		$15,120	$528	$14,592

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Dakota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.