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Howard High School - 01

Public Grades 9-12

2^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 166 South Dakota High Schools

Better than 99% of South Dakota high schools

Summary

Howard High School - 01 is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in the small town of Howard, South Dakota. With just 98 students, this school is part of the highly-ranked Howard School District 48-3, which is among the top 10 districts in the state.

What sets Howard High School - 01 apart is its exceptional academic performance. The school consistently ranks among the top in South Dakota, with a significantly higher percentage of students proficient or better in English, math, and science compared to state averages. Its four-year graduation rates are also impressively high, ranging from 84% to 100% in recent years, far exceeding the state average. Additionally, the school maintains very low dropout rates, further demonstrating its commitment to student success.

Beyond overall excellence, Howard High School - 01 stands out for its ability to effectively serve students from diverse backgrounds. The school has consistently ranked among the top in the state for various student subgroups, including female students, male students, and white students. Even with a relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, the school has ranked among the top 5 high schools in South Dakota for this subgroup, indicating its dedication to equity and inclusivity in education.

Students ?

9.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,296

Per pupil spending ?

12.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 N Section Line
Howard, SD 57349

(605) 772-5515

District: Howard School District 48-3

Feeder schools for Howard High School - 01:

Elementary:	Howard Elementary - 02
	Shannon Colony Elementary - 08
Middle:	Howard Junior High - 05

Racial breakdown:

White:

95.8%

American Indian:

2.1%

African American:

1.0%

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Compare Howard High School - 01 to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 16th percentile in 2015 → 99th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Dakota average (88% vs 50% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 1% of South Dakota high schools

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the South Dakota average (86%)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school88%

District avg88%

South Dakota avg50%

2^nd of 166

South Dakota public high schools ?

Top 1%▲ up 83 pts since 2015

From bottom 16% (2015) to top 1% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 147Howard School District 48-3 among South Dakota districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	97.4	2 of 166	98.8%	★★★★★
2024	95.5	1 of 141	99.3%	★★★★★
2023	93.2	5 of 138	96.4%	★★★★★
2022	90.4	7 of 134	94.8%	★★★★★
2021	84.7	11 of 140	92.1%	★★★★★
2019	58.7	57 of 135	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.9	84 of 138	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	82.5	15 of 137	89.1%	★★★★☆
2016	55.4	67 of 141	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	25.2	112 of 133	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	85.3	6 of 144	95.8%	★★★★★
2012	5.9	134 of 143	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	32.0	107 of 141	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.1	118 of 150	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	51.7	83 of 144	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	35.1	99 of 135	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	11.3	126 of 141	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	75.5	29 of 136	78.7%	★★★★☆
2005	67.8	44 of 137	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	49.4	76 of 132	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2003	9.0	124 of 133	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	91.6	5 of 164	97.0%	★★★★★
2024	89.7	3 of 93	96.8%	★★★★★
2023	89.6	3 of 95	96.8%	★★★★★
2022	94.3	1 of 84	98.8%	★★★★★
2021	77.6	14 of 89	84.3%	★★★★☆
2019	83.7	8 of 83	90.4%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	89.9	5 of 154	96.8%	★★★★★
2018	82.3	6 of 53	88.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	97.6	2 of 162	98.8%	★★★★★
2024	96.6	3 of 107	97.2%	★★★★★
2023	93.7	2 of 96	97.9%	★★★★★
2022	82.5	15 of 87	82.8%	★★★★☆
2019	64.1	25 of 88	71.6%	★★★★☆
2018	58.6	48 of 90	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	30.6	83 of 140	40.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	96.1	2 of 158	98.7%	★★★★★
2024	93.1	1 of 125	99.2%	★★★★★
2023	91.0	6 of 121	95.0%	★★★★★
2022	89.9	7 of 123	94.3%	★★★★★
2021	77.4	18 of 129	86.0%	★★★★☆
2019	53.0	58 of 123	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.3	84 of 123	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2025)99th percentile~ school

White (2025)99th percentile~ school

Female (2025)97th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)97th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)41st percentile-58 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts96%+32 vs state

Mathematics87%+51 vs state

Science83%+34 vs state

★

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Schools Near Howard High School - 01

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 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Howard High School - 01	Public	9-12	500 N Section Line	Howard	57349	Miner County	Howard School District 48-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 772-5515	96	10	9.9	12.5%	92 (95.8%)	1 (1.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	97.4	2^nd of 166 public high schools	98.8%		95.5	1^st of 141 public high schools	99.3%	1	95.7	87.0	82.6	$18,296	$426	$17,870

Frequently Asked Questions about Howard High School - 01

Is Howard High School - 01 a good school?

Yes! Howard High School - 01 is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 2^nd of 166 South Dakota high schools.

What schools feed into Howard High School - 01?

Howard High School - 01 is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Howard Elementary - 02
Elementary : Shannon Colony Elementary - 08
Middle : Howard Junior High - 05

How many students attend Howard High School - 01?

In the 2024-25 school year, 96 students attended Howard High School - 01.

What is the racial makeup of Howard High School - 01?

Students at Howard High School - 01 are 96% White, 2% American Indian, 1% African American, 1% Hispanic.

What district is Howard High School - 01 in?

Howard School District 48-3

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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.