Summary:
The South Central 26-5 school district in South Dakota contains a single elementary school, South Central Elementary - 03, which serves students from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade. This small school of just 58 students has demonstrated exceptional academic performance, outpacing both the district and state averages in key areas.
South Central Elementary - 03 stands out for its impressive test scores, with 59.09% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 45.46% proficient or better in mathematics, exceeding the state averages. The school's 4th-grade students, in particular, achieved a remarkable 100% proficiency rate in ELA, far surpassing the state's 48.52% average. Additionally, the school has shown consistent high performance across grade levels and continuous improvement over time, with its statewide ranking rising from 158 out of 206 schools in 2015-2016 to 121 out of 300 schools in 2024-2025.
Despite facing potential challenges, such as a high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and an elevated chronic absenteeism rate, South Central Elementary - 03 has demonstrated its ability to effectively support student learning. With a low student-teacher ratio of 8:1 and significantly higher spending per student than the state average, the school appears to be leveraging its resources to deliver exceptional educational outcomes for its students.
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