Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

South Park Elementary - 03

Q: Is South Park Elementary - 03 a good school?

South Park Elementary - 03 ranks 170 th of 300 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 1-4

170^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 300 South Dakota Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of South Dakota elementary schools

Summary

South Park Elementary - 03 is a public elementary school in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, serving grades 1-4 with a total enrollment of 396 students. The school is part of the Belle Fourche School District 09-1, which is ranked 84 out of 147 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Park Elementary - 03 consistently underperforms the state and district averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for both English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grades. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 42.93% in ELA and 46.33% in Math, compared to the state averages of 50.93% and 43.49%, respectively. The school's performance is particularly low in 3rd grade, where the proficiency rates are significantly below the state and district averages. Additionally, the school has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 10.6% to 20.8% over the past few years, which is higher than the state and district averages.

Interestingly, Whitewood Elementary - 04, which is in a different district (Meade School District 46-1), consistently outperforms South Park Elementary - 03 and the state averages in both ELA and Math assessments, despite serving a similar proportion of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. This suggests that the challenges faced by South Park Elementary - 03 may be specific to the Belle Fourche School District 09-1, as another school in the same district, North Park Elementary - 08, has similar demographic and performance characteristics.

347

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,949

Per pupil spending ?

53.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1816 Valley Dr
Belle Fourche, SD 57717

(605) 723-3382

District: Belle Fourche School District 09-1

Students who attend South Park Elementary - 03 usually attend:

Middle:	Belle Fourche Middle School - 07
High:	Belle Fourche High School - 01

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.0%

Hispanic:

9.2%

Two or more races:

5.5%

See top rated South Dakota elementary schools

Compare South Park Elementary - 03 to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 13th percentile in 2015 → 43rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 30 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school45%

District avg44%

South Dakota avg47%

170^th of 300

South Dakota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▲ up 30 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

84^th of 147Belle Fourche School District 09-1 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	48.5	170 of 300	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.9	151 of 201	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.8	161 of 204	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.7	173 of 202	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.4	149 of 202	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.5	171 of 206	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	36.9	146 of 204	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	38.1	145 of 207	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	35.7	154 of 206	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	21.7	181 of 209	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	37.7	159 of 201	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	42.3	163 of 214	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	34.6	169 of 205	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	40.9	151 of 206	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	44.1	138 of 196	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2008	38.7	156 of 194	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	36.4	155 of 194	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	33.4	162 of 197	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	35.8	158 of 194	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	38.7	143 of 189	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	41.5	141 of 187	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	21.5	173 of 176	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	42.2	184 of 291	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.3	109 of 165	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.7	100 of 154	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	19.5	130 of 150	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.1	105 of 151	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	27.8	124 of 155	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.9	119 of 163	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	42.3	28 of 61	54.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	42.7	85 of 163	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	37.0	162 of 237	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.5	59 of 110	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.3	46 of 112	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	24.1	66 of 80	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	38.6	70 of 106	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.1	68 of 121	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.4	55 of 121	54.5%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	53.5	151 of 292	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.0	129 of 161	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.7	134 of 166	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.9	119 of 154	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.2	119 of 157	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.6	124 of 160	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.8	110 of 170	35.3%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	45.7	87 of 165	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	31.4	115 of 152	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	41.7	144 of 248	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.7	59 of 72	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.6	56 of 72	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.2	57 of 61	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	45.4	34 of 62	45.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	43.4	189 of 287	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.8	160 of 184	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.3	162 of 185	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.6	167 of 184	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	22.9	152 of 185	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.9	172 of 191	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.6	155 of 186	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Foster Care (2025)54th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)48th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)48th percentile+5 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)47th percentile+4 vs school

Special Education (2025)42nd percentile~ school

Female (2025)37th percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)34th percentile-9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)32nd percentile-12 vs school

Native American (2025)24th percentile-19 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)2nd percentile-42 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics46%+3 vs state

English Language Arts43%-8 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate South Park Elementary - 03 and help other families decide.

Rate South Park Elementary - 03

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near South Park Elementary - 03

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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Park Elementary - 03	Public	1-4	1816 Valley Dr	Belle Fourche	57717	Butte County	Belle Fourche School District 09-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 723-3382	347	30	11.5	53.9%	288 (83.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.5%)	48.5	170^th of 300 public elementary schools	43.3%		29.9	151^st of 201 public elementary schools	24.9%	19	36.4	49.4		42.9	42.1	50.6		46.3		$11,949	$1,727	$10,222
North Park Elementary - 08	Public	K	29 N 6th Ave	Belle Fourche	57717	Butte County	Belle Fourche School District 09-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 723-3379	89	8	10.6	44.9%	79 (88.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.4%)								(n/a)										$13,139	$516	$12,623
Creekside Elementary - 07	Public	3-5	2325 N Ave	Spearfish	57783	Lawrence County	Spearfish School District 40-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 717-1210	553	36	15.4	23.0%	478 (86.4%)	2 (0.4%)	24 (4.3%)	5 (0.9%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.5%)	66.2	101^st of 300 public elementary schools	66.3%		62.9	68^th of 201 public elementary schools	66.2%	33	50.8	57.1	64.4	57.2	53.4	56.5	46.0	52.0	50.6	$9,983	$727	$9,256
West Elementary - 03	Public	1-2	920 W King St	Spearfish	57783	Lawrence County	Spearfish School District 40-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 717-1205	322	31	10.5	17.1%	283 (87.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.7%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.0%)								(n/a)										$11,874	$1,519	$10,355
Mountain View Elementary - 08	Public	K	400 E Hudson	Spearfish	57783	Lawrence County	Spearfish School District 40-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 717-1209	168	14	11.7	20.8%	133 (79.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (8.9%)	1 (0.6%)	5 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (8.3%)								(n/a)										$11,926	$949	$10,978
Whitewood Elementary - 04	Public	PK, KG-5	603 Garfield St	Whitewood	57793	Lawrence County	Meade School District 46-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 269-2264	138	10	13.5	47.1%	125 (90.6%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.9%)	85.6	9^th of 300 public elementary schools	97.0%		84.9	18^th of 201 public elementary schools	91.0%	9	46.2	68.8	90.5	72.0	76.9	68.8	85.7	78.0	66.7	$13,288	$1,441	$11,847

Frequently Asked Questions about South Park Elementary - 03

How many students attend South Park Elementary - 03?

In the 2024-25 school year, 347 students attended South Park Elementary - 03.

What district is South Park Elementary - 03 in?

Belle Fourche School District 09-1

What schools do graduates of South Park Elementary - 03 attend?

Students who attend South Park Elementary - 03 usually go on to attend:

Middle : Belle Fourche Middle School - 07
High : Belle Fourche High School - 01

Is South Park Elementary - 03 a good school?

South Park Elementary - 03 ranks 170^th of 300 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of South Park Elementary - 03?

Students at South Park Elementary - 03 are 83% White, 9% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

Rate South Park Elementary - 03!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

SDSouth Dakota Elementary School Rankings

SDSouth Dakota District Rankings

Schools in Belle Fourche, SD

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for South Park Elementary - 03!

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.