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Lake Preston Elementary - 02

Public Grades PK, KG-5

25^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 300 South Dakota Elementary Schools

Better than 92% of South Dakota elementary schools

Summary

Lake Preston Elementary - 02 is a high-performing public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Lake Preston, South Dakota, part of the Lake Preston School District 38-3, which is ranked 4 out of 147 school districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Lake Preston Elementary - 02 consistently performs well above the state average in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics on the Smarter Balanced Assessments. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school had 58.14% of students proficient or better in ELA and 86.05% proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 50.93% and 43.49%, respectively. The school also excels in the performance of various student subgroups, ranking among the top elementary schools in South Dakota for female students, Native American students, multi-racial students, and students of low socioeconomic status.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Spring Lake Colony Elementary and Arlington Elementary - 02, Lake Preston Elementary - 02 stands out as a high-performing institution, with significantly higher academic performance and lower chronic absenteeism rates. The school's relatively high spending per student, at $18,376 in the 2023-2024 school year, may contribute to its success, allowing for smaller class sizes, more resources, and specialized support for students.

Students ?

9.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,707

Per pupil spending ?

38.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

300 1st St NE
Lake Preston, SD 57249

(605) 847-4464

District: Lake Preston School District 38-3

Students who attend Lake Preston Elementary - 02 usually attend:

Middle:	Lake Preston Middle School - 03
High:	Lake Preston High School - 01

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.7%

Two or more races:

5.2%

American Indian:

2.1%

See top rated South Dakota elementary schools

Compare Lake Preston Elementary - 02 to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 99th percentile in 2022 → 92nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Dakota average (71% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of South Dakota elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 99th-percentile peak (2022) to 92nd (2025)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school71%

District avg70%

South Dakota avg47%

25^th of 300

South Dakota public elementary schools ?

Top 8%▲ up 37 pts since 2015

From top 45% (2015) to top 8% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 147Lake Preston School District 38-3 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	81.5	25 of 300	91.7%	★★★★★
2024	79.0	29 of 201	85.6%	★★★★☆
2023	79.0	30 of 204	85.3%	★★★★☆
2022	97.6	2 of 202	99.0%	★★★★★
2021	73.4	42 of 202	79.2%	★★★★☆
2019	67.5	56 of 206	72.8%	★★★★☆
2018	70.1	51 of 204	75.0%	★★★★☆
2017	66.7	60 of 207	71.0%	★★★★☆
2015	56.6	94 of 209	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	73.9	37 of 201	81.6%	★★★★☆
2012	73.2	41 of 214	80.8%	★★★★☆
2011	73.5	39 of 205	81.0%	★★★★☆
2010	79.6	18 of 206	91.3%	★★★★★
2009	64.8	72 of 196	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	72.1	40 of 194	79.4%	★★★★☆
2007	68.5	51 of 194	73.7%	★★★★☆
2006	71.5	39 of 197	80.2%	★★★★☆
2005	70.1	45 of 194	76.8%	★★★★☆
2004	68.2	53 of 189	72.0%	★★★★☆
2003	75.2	20 of 187	89.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	79.1	29 of 291	90.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	88.7	4 of 237	98.3%	★★★★★
2023	99.1	2 of 112	98.2%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	77.2	36 of 292	87.7%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	94.6	3 of 165	98.2%	★★★★★

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	73.0	18 of 152	88.2%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	73.8	30 of 248	87.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	72.6	50 of 287	82.6%	★★★★☆
2024	81.4	21 of 184	88.6%	★★★★☆
2023	81.0	22 of 185	88.1%	★★★★☆
2022	95.1	3 of 184	98.4%	★★★★★
2019	69.8	43 of 191	77.5%	★★★★☆
2018	54.6	89 of 186	52.2%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)98th percentile+7 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)98th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)90th percentile~ school

Native American (2025)88th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2025)88th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2025)88th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)83rd percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics86%+43 vs state

Science64%+24 vs state

English Language Arts58%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Lake Preston Elementary - 02

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 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th 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 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Lake Preston Elementary - 02	Public	PK, KG-5	300 1st St NE	Lake Preston	57249	Kingsbury County	Lake Preston School District 38-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 847-4464	96	11	9.1	38.5%	89 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.2%)	81.5	25^th of 300 public elementary schools	91.7%		79	29^th of 201 public elementary schools	85.6%	4	43.8	76.9	57.1				58.1	81.3	92.3	85.7				86.1	64.3			$18,707	$1,189	$17,518
Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02	Public	PK, KG-5	405 Ingalls Ave SW	De Smet	57231	Kingsbury County	De Smet School District 38-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 854-3963	176	12	14.2	29.0%	152 (86.4%)	1 (0.6%)	8 (4.5%)	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.3%)	70.6	77^th of 300 public elementary schools	74.3%		62.7	70^th of 201 public elementary schools	65.2%	7	80.0	53.6	45.0				60.3	84.0	57.2	45.0				63.0	45.0			$13,884	$681	$13,203
Arlington Elementary - 02	Public	K-6	306 S Main St	Arlington	57212	Kingsbury County	Arlington School District 38-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 983-5741	152	11	14.0	20.4%	139 (91.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	2 (1.3%)	3 (2.0%)	83.5	17^th of 300 public elementary schools	94.3%		83.3	20^th of 201 public elementary schools	90.0%	3	69.6	78.9	62.5	72.0			70.3	82.6	68.4	66.7	76.0			73.6	45.8			$14,891	$594	$14,297
Spring Lake Colony Elementary	Public	K-8	21727 452nd Ave	Arlington	57212	Kingsbury County	Oldham-Ramona-Rutland School District 39-6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(605) 482-8244	18	2	7.7		18 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.2	285^th of 300 public elementary schools	5.0%					(n/a)	0.0	33.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	50.0	15.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	$15,734	$1,456	$14,278

Frequently Asked Questions about Lake Preston Elementary - 02

What schools do graduates of Lake Preston Elementary - 02 attend?

Students who attend Lake Preston Elementary - 02 usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lake Preston Middle School - 03
High : Lake Preston High School - 01

What district is Lake Preston Elementary - 02 in?

Lake Preston School District 38-3

What is the racial makeup of Lake Preston Elementary - 02?

Students at Lake Preston Elementary - 02 are 93% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

Is Lake Preston Elementary - 02 a good school?

Yes. Lake Preston Elementary - 02 ranks in the top 8.3% of South Dakota elementary schools.

How many students attend Lake Preston Elementary - 02?

In the 2024-25 school year, 96 students attended Lake Preston Elementary - 02.

Rate Lake Preston Elementary - 02!

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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.