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Buchanan Elementary - 03

Q: Is Buchanan Elementary - 03 a good school?

Buchanan Elementary - 03 ranks 50 th of 300 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

50^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 300 South Dakota Elementary Schools

Better than 83% of South Dakota elementary schools

Summary

Buchanan Elementary - 03 is a public elementary school in Pierre, South Dakota, serving 422 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Pierre School District 32-2, which is ranked 32 out of 147 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Buchanan Elementary - 03 consistently outperforms the state and district averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grade levels. In the 2024-2025 school year, 63.77% of students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 58.43% for the district and 50.93% for the state. In Mathematics, 58.67% of students were proficient or better, compared to 49.93% for the district and 43.49% for the state. The school's performance in 5th grade Science is also noteworthy, with 69.84% of students proficient or better, significantly higher than the district (55.73%) and state (40.54%) averages.

Buchanan Elementary - 03 outperforms the nearby Kennedy Elementary - 08 and Jefferson Elementary - 06 in both ELA and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. However, the nearby Pierre Indian Learning Center, which serves a higher percentage of low-income and Native American students, has a much higher free and reduced-price lunch rate (97.64%) compared to Buchanan Elementary - 03 (26.3%). The school has also seen a significant decrease in chronic absenteeism rates, from 20.8% in 2023-2024 to 4.5% in 2024-2025, and an increase in spending per student, from $9,377 in 2021-2022 to $10,794 in 2023-2024.

432

Students ?

16.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,597

Per pupil spending ?

36.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

100 N Buchanan Ave
Pierre, SD 57501

(605) 773-7310

District: Pierre School District 32-2

Students who attend Buchanan Elementary - 03 usually attend:

Middle:	Georgia Morse Middle School - 02
High:	T F Riggs High School - 01

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.5%

Two or more races:

14.8%

American Indian:

13.9%

See top rated South Dakota elementary schools

Compare Buchanan Elementary - 03 to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 67th percentile in 2015 → 83rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Dakota average (62% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of South Dakota elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school62%

District avg54%

South Dakota avg47%

50^th of 300

South Dakota public elementary schools ?

Top 17%▲ up 16 pts since 2015

From top 33% (2015) to top 17% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Elementary Schools in the Pierre School District 32-2

32^nd of 147Pierre School District 32-2 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	75.1	50 of 300	83.3%	★★★★☆
2024	75.3	38 of 201	81.1%	★★★★☆
2023	72.6	49 of 204	76.0%	★★★★☆
2022	67.3	57 of 202	71.8%	★★★★☆
2021	68.6	55 of 202	72.8%	★★★★☆
2019	60.6	73 of 206	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.7	62 of 204	69.6%	★★★★☆
2017	55.5	100 of 207	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	60.0	88 of 206	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	65.0	69 of 209	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	58.7	95 of 201	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.7	110 of 214	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2011	60.3	95 of 205	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.5	65 of 206	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	63.9	76 of 196	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	58.3	102 of 194	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	41.0	147 of 194	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	45.9	140 of 197	28.9%	★★☆☆☆
2005	39.4	150 of 194	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	44.8	135 of 189	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	34.4	153 of 187	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	46.3	40 of 81	50.6%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	66.6	19 of 58	67.2%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	68.3	26 of 176	85.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	69.6	66 of 291	77.3%	★★★★☆
2024	64.0	54 of 165	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.6	49 of 154	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.1	54 of 150	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	76.7	22 of 151	85.4%	★★★★☆
2019	60.2	59 of 155	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	59.5	71 of 163	56.4%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	79.6	13 of 163	92.0%	★★★★★

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	64.5	6 of 61	90.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	56.8	85 of 237	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	61.7	28 of 110	74.5%	★★★★☆
2023	71.5	26 of 112	76.8%	★★★★☆
2022	48.1	36 of 80	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.3	34 of 106	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	40.2	79 of 121	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.0	62 of 121	48.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	75.4	43 of 292	85.3%	★★★★☆
2024	80.7	26 of 161	83.9%	★★★★☆
2023	77.6	27 of 166	83.7%	★★★★☆
2022	72.5	36 of 154	76.6%	★★★★☆
2021	59.9	60 of 157	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.3	48 of 160	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	70.9	47 of 170	72.4%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	58.3	58 of 165	64.8%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	68.2	24 of 152	84.2%	★★★★☆
2024	42.2	11 of 25	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.7	11 of 23	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.5	15 of 35	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	56.5	77 of 248	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	16.3	70 of 72	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	30.2	54 of 72	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	75.0	38 of 287	86.8%	★★★★☆
2024	83.6	17 of 184	90.8%	★★★★★
2023	81.0	24 of 185	87.0%	★★★★☆
2022	80.5	27 of 184	85.3%	★★★★☆
2021	76.9	28 of 185	84.9%	★★★★☆
2019	70.2	42 of 191	78.0%	★★★★☆
2018	76.8	21 of 186	88.7%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)92nd percentile+9 vs school

Homeless (2025)90th percentile+7 vs school

White (2025)87th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)85th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)85th percentile~ school

Native American (2025)84th percentile~ school

Female (2025)77th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2025)69th percentile-14 vs school

Asian (2025)67th percentile-16 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)65th percentile-18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)64th percentile-19 vs school

African American (2025)51st percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Science70%+29 vs state

English Language Arts64%+13 vs state

Mathematics59%+15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Buchanan 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
Buchanan Elementary - 03	Public	K-5	100 N Buchanan Ave	Pierre	57501	Hughes County	Pierre School District 32-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 773-7310	432	26	16.6	36.6%	270 (62.5%)	4 (0.9%)	23 (5.3%)	11 (2.5%)	60 (13.9%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (14.8%)	75.1	50^th of 300 public elementary schools	83.3%		75.3	38^th of 201 public elementary schools	81.1%	12	42.4	76.1	73.0	63.8	62.1	56.7	57.2	58.7	69.8	$11,597	$863	$10,734
Pierre Indian Learning Center	Public	1-8	3001 East Sully Avenue	Pierre	57501	Hughes County	Pierre Indian Learning Center	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(605) 224-8661	156	8	19.5	98.1%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	156 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Kennedy Elementary - 08	Public	K-5	2306 Brookstone Loop	Pierre	57501	Hughes County	Pierre School District 32-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 773-7370	413	26	15.8	41.4%	254 (61.5%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.8%)	2 (0.5%)	83 (20.1%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (12.8%)	69.3	90^th of 300 public elementary schools	70.0%		64.9	63^rd of 201 public elementary schools	68.7%	27	45.2	58.1	67.2	57.0	58.1	62.2	56.3	59.0	46.9	$11,670	$916	$10,754
Jefferson Elementary - 06	Public	K-5	900 N Poplar Ave	Pierre	57501	Hughes County	Pierre School District 32-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 773-7320	377	28	13.4	35.5%	240 (63.7%)	2 (0.5%)	24 (6.4%)	2 (0.5%)	64 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (11.9%)	61.2	119^th of 300 public elementary schools	60.3%		57.9	86^th of 201 public elementary schools	57.2%	33	48.4	51.6	60.0	53.0	53.2	42.2	49.1	48.1	50.9	$11,750	$956	$10,794
Stanley County Elementary - 08	Public	K-5	17 E 2nd Ave	Fort Pierre	57532	Stanley County	Stanley County School District 57-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 223-7745	178	18	9.8	32.6%	136 (76.4%)	4 (2.2%)	7 (3.9%)	2 (1.1%)	16 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (7.3%)	53.7	151^st of 300 public elementary schools	49.7%		57.7	87^th of 201 public elementary schools	56.7%	64	40.6	65.2	44.8	48.8	34.4	60.9	44.8	45.2	37.9	$15,856	$885	$14,972

Frequently Asked Questions about Buchanan Elementary - 03

What district is Buchanan Elementary - 03 in?

Pierre School District 32-2

What is the racial makeup of Buchanan Elementary - 03?

Students at Buchanan Elementary - 03 are 63% White, 15% Two or more races, 14% American Indian, 5% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Buchanan Elementary - 03 attend?

Students who attend Buchanan Elementary - 03 usually go on to attend:

Middle : Georgia Morse Middle School - 02
High : T F Riggs High School - 01

How many students attend Buchanan Elementary - 03?

In the 2024-25 school year, 432 students attended Buchanan Elementary - 03.

Is Buchanan Elementary - 03 a good school?

Buchanan Elementary - 03 ranks 50^th of 300 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Buchanan Elementary - 03!

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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.