Best Public Schools in Carpenter, SD

The city of Carpenter, South Dakota is home to two public elementary schools, Fordham Colony Elementary - 04 and Shamrock Colony Elementary - 05, both serving grades K-8. These schools appear to be struggling, with low test scores and high chronic absenteeism rates compared to state and district averages.

Neither Fordham Colony Elementary - 04 nor Shamrock Colony Elementary - 05 stand out as high-performing schools. Both have significantly lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science compared to their respective school districts, Clark School District 12-2 and Willow Lake School District 12-3, as well as the state of South Dakota. For example, in 2024-2025, Fordham Colony Elementary - 04 had only 18.51% of students proficient or better in ELA, compared to 37.35% for the district and 50.93% for the state.

Additionally, both schools have high chronic absenteeism rates, with 20.2% of students chronically absent in the 2024-2025 school year, significantly higher than the state average. The small school sizes, with only 42 students at Fordham Colony Elementary - 04 and 21 students at Shamrock Colony Elementary - 05, raise questions about the viability and sustainability of these schools, as well as the potential challenges they face in providing a comprehensive educational experience for their students.