De Smet School District 38-2

The De Smet School District 38-2 in South Dakota is home to three schools: Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02, De Smet High School - 01, and De Smet Middle School - 03. The district serves students from elementary through high school, providing education in this rural South Dakota community.

Among the standout schools in the district, Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02 consistently ranks as one of the top elementary schools in the state, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school boasts strong academic performance, with over 60% of students proficient or better in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. Particularly impressive is the 3rd grade, where 80% of students are proficient or better in both subjects. In contrast, De Smet High School - 01 has struggled, ranking 125th out of 166 South Dakota high schools and earning only a 1-star rating, with its Mathematics performance significantly below the state average.

While the district's middle school, De Smet Middle School - 03, has also performed well, earning a 4-star rating, the district as a whole faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates across both the elementary and middle schools. Additionally, there are disparities in spending per student and student-teacher ratios between the schools, which may contribute to the varying levels of academic performance. Addressing these issues could help the De Smet School District 38-2 better serve its students and continue to improve educational outcomes.