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Sturgis Elementary - 03

Q: Is Sturgis Elementary - 03 a good school?

Sturgis Elementary - 03 ranks 144 th of 300 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-4

144^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 300 South Dakota Elementary Schools

Better than 52% of South Dakota elementary schools

Summary

Sturgis Elementary - 03 is a public elementary school serving 538 students in grades K-4 in Sturgis, South Dakota, which is part of the Meade School District 46-1. This high-performing school has consistently outperformed both the district and the state in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency, with particularly strong results for Native American and special education students.

Sturgis Elementary - 03 has maintained a strong academic performance over the years, consistently ranking in the top quartile of Sturgis Elementary - 03 elementary schools in South Dakota. The school's 45.91% proficiency rate in ELA and 53.18% in Math for the 2024-2025 school year surpassed the district and state averages. Additionally, the school's per-student spending of $10,583 in 2023-2024 is relatively high, which may contribute to its academic success.

While the school's chronic absenteeism rate has increased from 14.2% in 2022-2023 to 20.2% in 2024-2025, it remains below the state average. Compared to nearby schools, Piedmont Valley Elementary - 05 and Whitewood Elementary - 04, Sturgis Elementary - 03 outperforms them in test scores and statewide rankings, though Whitewood Elementary - 04 also performs exceptionally well, ranking in the top 5-10 schools in the state.

531

Students ?

12.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,504

Per pupil spending ?

40.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1121 Ballpark Rd
Sturgis, SD 57785

(605) 347-2386

District: Meade School District 46-1

Students who attend Sturgis Elementary - 03 usually attend:

Middle:	Sturgis Williams Middle School - 02
High:	Sturgis Brown High School - 01

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.6%

Two or more races:

6.0%

Hispanic:

4.1%

See top rated South Dakota elementary schools

Compare Sturgis Elementary - 03 to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 60th percentile in 2015 → 52nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the South Dakota median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

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

!Near the bottom of Meade School District 46-1's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg49%

South Dakota avg47%

144^th of 300

South Dakota public elementary schools ?

Top 48%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From top 40% (2015) to top 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Meade School District 46-1

65^th of 147Meade School District 46-1 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	55.5	144 of 300	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	66.2	61 of 201	69.7%	★★★★☆
2023	83.5	19 of 204	90.7%	★★★★★
2022	75.7	43 of 202	78.7%	★★★★☆
2021	78.9	27 of 202	86.6%	★★★★☆
2019	77.3	30 of 206	85.4%	★★★★☆
2018	69.0	58 of 204	71.6%	★★★★☆
2017	62.6	74 of 207	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.8	53 of 206	74.3%	★★★★☆
2015	61.1	83 of 209	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	55.3	110 of 201	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	62.6	87 of 214	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	57.2	106 of 205	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2010	57.5	105 of 206	49.0%	★★★☆☆
2009	50.0	127 of 196	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	54.7	119 of 194	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2007	55.8	110 of 194	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	35.8	155 of 197	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	45.4	141 of 194	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	42.3	138 of 189	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	56.2	95 of 187	49.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	43.2	180 of 291	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.9	62 of 165	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.5	24 of 154	84.4%	★★★★☆
2022	81.8	17 of 150	88.7%	★★★★☆
2021	76.1	25 of 151	83.4%	★★★★☆
2019	77.4	23 of 155	85.2%	★★★★☆
2018	62.8	63 of 163	61.3%	★★★☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	64.4	8 of 61	86.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	45.8	76 of 163	53.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	55.2	89 of 237	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.8	9 of 110	91.8%	★★★★★
2023	89.9	7 of 112	93.8%	★★★★★
2022	68.9	18 of 80	77.5%	★★★★☆
2021	83.4	11 of 106	89.6%	★★★★★
2019	87.9	9 of 121	92.6%	★★★★★
2018	80.6	12 of 121	90.1%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	62.8	95 of 292	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.6	37 of 161	77.0%	★★★★☆
2023	86.0	14 of 166	91.6%	★★★★★
2022	71.4	38 of 154	75.3%	★★★★☆
2021	81.1	19 of 157	87.9%	★★★★☆
2019	76.9	30 of 160	81.3%	★★★★☆
2018	75.5	32 of 170	81.2%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	45.6	34 of 58	41.4%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	39.8	106 of 165	35.8%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	73.9	16 of 152	89.5%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	57.4	74 of 248	70.2%	★★★★☆
2024	61.7	20 of 72	72.2%	★★★★☆
2023	85.9	6 of 72	91.7%	★★★★★
2022	86.1	7 of 61	88.5%	★★★★★
2018	71.3	11 of 62	82.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	49.4	161 of 287	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	55.6	82 of 184	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	79.2	26 of 185	85.9%	★★★★☆
2022	68.1	52 of 184	71.7%	★★★★☆
2021	75.2	32 of 185	82.7%	★★★★☆
2019	70.4	39 of 191	79.6%	★★★★☆
2018	62.7	60 of 186	67.7%	★★★☆☆

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)

Native American (2025)89th percentile+37 vs school

Foster Care (2025)87th percentile+35 vs school

Special Education (2025)70th percentile+18 vs school

Male (2025)67th percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)62nd percentile+10 vs school

Hispanic (2025)53rd percentile~ school

White (2025)44th percentile-8 vs school

Military Connected (2025)41st percentile-11 vs school

Female (2025)38th percentile-14 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)36th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics53%+10 vs state

English Language Arts46%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sturgis 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
Sturgis Elementary - 03	Public	K-4	1121 Ballpark Rd	Sturgis	57785	Meade County	Meade School District 46-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 347-2386	531	43	12.2	40.7%	460 (86.6%)	3 (0.6%)	22 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.0%)	55.5	144^th of 300 public elementary schools	52.0%		66.2	61^st of 201 public elementary schools	69.7%	83	40.0	51.8		45.9	50.9	55.5		53.2		$11,504	$1,151	$10,354
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
Lead-Deadwood Elementary - 03	Public	K-5	716 Main St	Deadwood	57732	Lawrence County	Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 717-3884	243	27	9.0	21.4%	221 (90.9%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.2%)	2 (0.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.6%)	49.5	167^th of 300 public elementary schools	44.3%		36.1	139^th of 201 public elementary schools	30.8%	28	34.6	47.6	52.5	44.0	44.2	47.6	32.5	41.8	42.5	$19,853	$2,133	$17,719
Piedmont Valley Elementary - 05	Public	K-4	16159 2nd St	Piedmont	57769	Meade County	Meade School District 46-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 787-5295	514	37	13.8	25.3%	435 (84.6%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.6%)	4 (0.8%)	12 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.6%)	66.7	96^th of 300 public elementary schools	68.0%		68.9	51^st of 201 public elementary schools	74.6%	45	56.0	49.6		52.6	66.0	58.6		62.1		$10,908	$800	$10,108
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
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
Black Hawk Elementary - 03	Public	K-5	7108 Seeaire St	Black Hawk	57718	Meade County	Rapid City Area School District 51-4	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 787-6701	305	20	15.0	34.1%	228 (74.8%)	2 (0.7%)	33 (10.8%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.5%)	38.6	205^th of 300 public elementary schools	31.7%		12.6	182^nd of 201 public elementary schools	9.5%	23	33.8	40.0	47.5	40.2	36.9	24.0	32.2	31.6	30.5	$11,703	$726	$10,976

Frequently Asked Questions about Sturgis Elementary - 03

Is Sturgis Elementary - 03 a good school?

Sturgis Elementary - 03 ranks 144^th of 300 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sturgis Elementary - 03?

In the 2024-25 school year, 531 students attended Sturgis Elementary - 03.

What schools do graduates of Sturgis Elementary - 03 attend?

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

Middle : Sturgis Williams Middle School - 02
High : Sturgis Brown High School - 01

What district is Sturgis Elementary - 03 in?

Meade School District 46-1

What is the racial makeup of Sturgis Elementary - 03?

Students at Sturgis Elementary - 03 are 87% White, 6% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 3% American Indian.

Rate Sturgis 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.