Best Public Schools in Parker, SD

Summary:

The city of Parker, South Dakota is home to three schools serving grades K-12: Parker Elementary - 02, Parker High School - 01, and Parker Junior High - 03. While the schools share some common challenges, there are a few standout performers worth highlighting.

Parker High School - 01 stands out with the highest 4-year graduation rate at 86.4% and the lowest dropout rate at 2.6%. Its 11th-grade English Language Arts test scores are also higher than the district and state averages. Meanwhile, Parker Elementary - 02 excels in science and math, with 5th-grade proficiency rates significantly above the district and state levels.

However, the district as a whole appears to be struggling, with most schools rated 2 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger and underperforming compared to state averages. Chronic absenteeism is a concern, particularly at the elementary and middle school levels. Additionally, there are indications of socioeconomic disparities, with Parker Junior High - 03 having the highest free/reduced lunch rate. Addressing these systemic issues could be key to improving student outcomes across the Parker School District 60-4.

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
Parker Elementary - 02	Public	PK, KG-6	335 W 1st St	Parker	57053	Turner County	Parker School District 60-4	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 297-3237	238	19	12.2	19.7%	218 (91.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	52.6	158^th of 300 public elementary schools	47.3%		49.6	109^th of 201 public elementary schools	45.8%	49	25.8	43.2	62.5	45.5				43.2	41.9	27.0	54.2	54.5				43.2	58.3			$10,566	$392	$10,174
Parker High School - 01	Public	9-12	335 W 1st St	Parker	57053	Turner County	Parker School District 60-4	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 297-3456	141	10	13.7	15.6%	130 (92.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.3%)	48.1	94^th of 166 public high schools	43.4%		36.3	93^rd of 141 public high schools	34.0%	1							55.8								39.5				37.2	$10,088	$00	$10,088
Parker Junior High - 03	Public	7-8	335 W 1st St	Parker	57053	Turner County	Parker School District 60-4	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 297-3456	74	5	15.7	31.1%	65 (87.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.7%)	40.5	167^th of 246 public middle schools	32.1%		41.3	96^th of 147 public middle schools	34.7%	71					44.7	32.4		38.9					42.1	23.5		33.3		23.5		$10,419	$00	$10,419

Cities Near Parker

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Marion	6.29 mi	3	120^th
Hurley	8.22 mi	1	76^th
Lennox	12.63 mi	4	6^th
Freeman	15.12 mi	3	79^th
Tea	15.34 mi	5	19^th

See the top SD South Dakota cities

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.