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Spearfish High School - 01

Q: Is Spearfish High School - 01 a good school?

Spearfish High School - 01 ranks 62 nd of 130 South Dakota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

62^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 130 South Dakota High Schools

Better than 52% of South Dakota high schools

Summary

Spearfish High School - 01 is a public high school in Spearfish, South Dakota, serving grades 9–12 in Spearfish School District 40-2, with 787 students. Its clearest long-term strength is graduation: 97% of students graduated in 2025–2026, matching the district and exceeding the state’s 88% by 9 percentage points. That rate was up from 95% in 2021–2022 and above nearby Belle Fourche High School - 01 at 95% and Lead-Deadwood High School - 01 at 86%.

On the latest 11th-grade ACT results, math is Spearfish’s strongest subject relative to the state, while science is its clearest weakness. Math proficiency was 41%, compared with 34% statewide and 40% districtwide; the nearby-school average was 30%, with Belle Fourche at 25% and Lead-Deadwood at 35%. Science proficiency was 43%, below the state’s 45%, though close to the nearby-school average of 43%. ELA was also close to the state: 49% at Spearfish versus 48% statewide. In short, math stands out positively, while science is the only subject below the state in this comparison.

Spearfish’s all-grades Smarter Balanced results rose modestly from 2022–2023 to 2024–2025: ELA increased from 67% to 68%, math from 37% to 39%, and science from 59% to 60%, but its gaps to the state did not close. Separately, SchoolDigger’s statewide standing fell from the 73rd percentile and 4 stars in 2024–2025 to the 52nd percentile and 3 stars in 2025–2026; its latest rank was 62nd of 130 schools. The 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 16.8, higher than at Belle Fourche (14.5) and Lead-Deadwood (10.7), and 16% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that year. SchoolDigger’s subgroup rankings also vary notably: its ranking for how well it serves Low Socio Economic Status Students rose to the 90th percentile in 2025–2026, from the 60th the year before, while its ranking for Male Students fell to the 27th percentile, from the 59th.

787

Students ?

16.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,838

Per pupil spending ?

16.1%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1725 N Main
Spearfish, SD 57783

(605) 717-1212

District: Spearfish School District 40-2

Feeder schools for Spearfish High School - 01:

Elementary:	Creekside Elementary - 07
	Mountain View Elementary - 08
	West Elementary - 03
Middle:	Spearfish Middle School - 05

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.8%

Hispanic:

4.6%

Two or more races:

3.8%

See top rated South Dakota high schools

Compare Spearfish High School - 01 to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 81st percentile in 2016 → 52nd in 2026

Strengths

✓97% graduate in 4 years — above the South Dakota average (88%)

✓Above the South Dakota median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 29 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg44%

South Dakota avg42%

62^nd of 130

South Dakota public high schools ?

Top 48%▼ down 29 pts since 2016

From top 19% (2016) to top 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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
2026	51.5	62 of 130	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	68.9	44 of 166	73.5%	★★★★☆
2024	59.3	58 of 141	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.1	56 of 138	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.3	42 of 134	68.7%	★★★★☆
2021	63.4	48 of 140	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.1	52 of 135	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.0	81 of 138	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	67.6	43 of 137	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	75.9	27 of 141	80.9%	★★★★☆
2015	70.5	34 of 133	74.4%	★★★★☆
2013	80.0	20 of 144	86.1%	★★★★☆
2012	90.2	5 of 143	96.5%	★★★★★
2011	78.0	26 of 141	81.6%	★★★★☆
2010	60.4	69 of 150	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	58.4	65 of 144	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2008	72.4	38 of 135	71.9%	★★★★☆
2007	73.9	34 of 141	75.9%	★★★★☆
2006	81.0	18 of 136	86.8%	★★★★☆
2005	68.1	42 of 137	69.3%	★★★★☆
2004	65.4	46 of 132	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2003	67.1	45 of 133	66.2%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	84.6	2 of 39	94.9%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	34.7	22 of 31	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	69.3	24 of 96	75.0%	★★★★☆
2025	71.2	38 of 164	76.8%	★★★★☆
2024	53.9	46 of 93	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.4	15 of 95	84.2%	★★★★☆
2022	71.5	26 of 84	69.0%	★★★★☆
2021	68.7	23 of 89	74.2%	★★★★☆
2019	75.3	16 of 83	80.7%	★★★★☆
2018	43.5	56 of 82	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	26.0	13 of 23	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	73.8	11 of 81	86.4%	★★★★☆
2021	76.8	2 of 9	77.8%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	86.8	4 of 40	90.0%	★★★★★
2025	55.8	61 of 154	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.4	10 of 48	79.2%	★★★★☆
2023	17.8	41 of 46	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	57.6	12 of 37	67.6%	★★★★☆
2019	55.1	17 of 44	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	85.2	5 of 53	90.6%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	31.7	69 of 95	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	58.1	66 of 162	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.6	40 of 107	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.5	60 of 96	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	66.2	27 of 87	69.0%	★★★★☆
2021	52.1	43 of 89	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.4	58 of 88	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	62.5	44 of 90	51.1%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	62.5	27 of 89	69.7%	★★★★☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	26.5	65 of 83	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	50.9	48 of 140	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.0	8 of 19	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.1	4 of 10	60.0%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	47.5	65 of 121	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	63.7	53 of 158	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.8	61 of 125	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.1	61 of 121	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.1	40 of 123	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.9	45 of 129	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.2	47 of 123	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	47.7	72 of 123	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)95th percentile+21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)90th percentile+38 vs school

Hispanic (2025)86th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2026)75th percentile+23 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)70th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2025)66th percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)46th percentile-6 vs school

Foster Care (2025)43rd percentile-30 vs school

Asian (2025)29th percentile-44 vs school

Male (2026)27th percentile-25 vs school

Native American (2025)22nd percentile-52 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts48%~ state avg

Science43%~ state avg

Mathematics41%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Spearfish High School - 01

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SD ACT English Language Arts (2026)	SD ACT Mathematics (2026)	SD ACT Science (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2026)	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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SD ACT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SD ACT Mathematics 11th Grade	SD ACT Science 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Spearfish High School - 01	Public	9-12	1725 N Main	Spearfish	57783	Lawrence County	Spearfish School District 40-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 717-1212	787	47	16.8	16.1%	675 (85.8%)	9 (1.1%)	36 (4.6%)	11 (1.4%)	24 (3.0%)	2 (0.3%)	30 (3.8%)	51.5	62^nd of 130 public high schools	52.3%		68.9	44^th of 166 public high schools	73.5%	18	48.5	40.7	43.1				$9,838	$265	$9,574
Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 10	Public	9-12	2519 Windmill Dr	Spearfish	57783	Lawrence County	Spearfish School District 40-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 717-1229	21	3	6.7	14.3%	12 (57.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (23.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (14.3%)								(n/a)
Black Hills Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 07	Public	9-12	2519 Windmill Dr	Spearfish	57783	Lawrence County	Black Hills Special Services Cooperative	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 347-4467	0	0		—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Belle Fourche High School - 01	Public	9-12	1301 12th Ave	Belle Fourche	57717	Butte County	Belle Fourche School District 09-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 723-3350	389	27	14.5	32.1%	336 (86.4%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (8.7%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	25.5	102^nd of 130 public high schools	21.5%		55.8	83^rd of 166 public high schools	50.0%	19	45.3	25.3	32.6				$10,921	$452	$10,468
Lead-Deadwood High School - 01	Public	9-12	320 S Main St	Lead	57754	Lawrence County	Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 717-3899	211	20	10.7	19.4%	180 (85.3%)	2 (0.9%)	12 (5.7%)	2 (0.9%)	9 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.8%)	59.2	47^th of 130 public high schools	63.8%		54.4	86^th of 166 public high schools	48.2%	39	52.5	35.0	52.5				$18,749	$535	$18,214

Frequently Asked Questions about Spearfish High School - 01

What schools feed into Spearfish High School - 01?

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

Elementary : Creekside Elementary - 07
Elementary : Mountain View Elementary - 08
Elementary : West Elementary - 03
Middle : Spearfish Middle School - 05

What district is Spearfish High School - 01 in?

Spearfish School District 40-2

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

Students at Spearfish High School - 01 are 86% White, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 3% American Indian, 1% Asian, 1% African American.

Is Spearfish High School - 01 a good school?

Spearfish High School - 01 ranks 62^nd of 130 South Dakota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Spearfish High School - 01?

In the 2024-25 school year, 787 students attended Spearfish High School - 01.

Rate Spearfish High School - 01!

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Latest South Dakota data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewNov 6, 2026

2025–26 SD ACT & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewNov 6, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation rates (updated)NewNov 1, 2026

2025–26 immunization ratesOct 24, 2026

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.