Summary:
The Belle Fourche School District 09-1 in South Dakota consists of 5 schools, including 2 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools (one of which is an alternative school). The district serves students from the Belle Fourche area and surrounding communities.
Among the schools in the district, Belle Fourche High School - 01 stands out as the top performer, ranking 83rd out of 166 South Dakota high schools in 2024-2025. The school boasts a strong 4-year graduation rate of 86.4% and a low dropout rate of 2.6%. In contrast, Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09, the district's alternative high school, ranks 127th out of 141 South Dakota high schools in 2023-2024 but still maintains a respectable 4-year graduation rate and low dropout rate.
The district-wide data reveals some challenges, such as a high chronic absenteeism rate of 20.2% across all schools in 2024-2025 and below-average performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments, particularly in mathematics. The schools also have varying free and reduced lunch rates, ranging from 22.85% at Belle Fourche High School - 01 to 43.69% at South Park Elementary - 03, indicating differences in the socioeconomic backgrounds of the student populations.
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