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

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its South Dakota rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Wakpala Elementary - 02

Q: Is Wakpala Elementary - 02 a good school?

Wakpala Elementary - 02 ranks 128 th of 203 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

128^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 203 South Dakota Elementary Schools

Better than 37% of South Dakota elementary schools

Summary

Wakpala Elementary - 02 is a small school in Wakpala, South Dakota, serving grades K–5 with 95 students. Its clearest strength is English language arts: in 2025–2026, 70% of students were proficient, 21 percentage points above the state and 31 points above the district.

ELA is also strong compared with nearby schools: Wakpala’s 70% result was higher than Mobridge Upper Elementary - 04 at 40% and McLaughlin Elementary - 02 at 9%. The strength is most evident in third and fourth grade; fifth-grade ELA was closer to the state result and below Mobridge Upper’s. Math is a weaker area: 30% were proficient, below the state’s 44% but above the district’s 22%; Wakpala was also 6 points below Mobridge Upper. Fifth-grade science proficiency was 27%, 14 points below the state and 22 points below Mobridge Upper. These subject results show that the ELA advantage does not extend across all tested areas.

Results have improved over time, especially in ELA, which rose 31 points from 2022–2023 to 2025–2026 and shifted from 11 points below the state to 21 points above it. Math also rose 12 points since 2023–2024, though it remains below the state. SchoolDigger ranks Wakpala at the 37th statewide percentile with 2 stars, up from the 21st percentile in 2022–2023; the Wakpala School District 15-3 is at the 9th percentile with 0 stars. SchoolDigger’s student-group rankings show a particularly strong result for Native American students: the 91st percentile in 2025–2026, compared with 37th overall. Its ranking for Low Socio Economic Status Students rose from the 59th percentile to the 83rd over the same period. Wakpala had the lowest reported nearby student-teacher ratio, 9.7 students per teacher in 2024–2025; that year its low-income measure was all students receive free meals (Community Eligibility). Nearby schools serve different grade spans, so comparisons are not always like-for-like.

Students ?

9.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,371

Per pupil spending ?

Community Eligibility

All students receive free meals (2024-25) ?

Directly certified for free meals: 3.6% (2023-24)

92.3%

Kindergartners immunized against measles (MMR) (2025-26)

Exemptions: 7.7% (any vaccine)

12250 SD Hwy 1806
Wakpala, SD 57658

(605) 845-3040

District: Wakpala School District 15-3

Students who attend Wakpala Elementary - 02 usually attend:

Middle:	Wakpala Middle School - 04
High:	Wakpala High School - 01

Racial breakdown:

American Indian:

96.8%

White:

2.1%

Two or more races:

1.1%

See top rated South Dakota elementary schools

Compare Wakpala Elementary - 02 to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 6th percentile in 2016 → 37th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 31 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Science scores 14 pts below the South Dakota average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg30%

South Dakota avg46%

128^th of 203

South Dakota public elementary schools ?

Bottom 37%▲ up 31 pts since 2016

From bottom 6% (2016) to bottom 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

115^th of 126Wakpala School District 15-3 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
2026	45.8	128 of 203	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.2	192 of 300	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.6	166 of 201	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.5	162 of 204	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.6	153 of 202	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.9	174 of 202	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.7	141 of 206	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	13.6	188 of 204	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	17.8	184 of 207	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	9.1	193 of 206	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	9.2	197 of 209	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	5.2	191 of 201	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	1.0	208 of 214	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	22.0	185 of 205	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	5.5	195 of 206	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	29.4	168 of 196	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	9.9	183 of 194	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	6.2	185 of 194	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	0.5	194 of 197	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	13.8	176 of 194	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	24.6	163 of 189	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	3.4	180 of 187	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	51.3	144 of 291	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	90.7	1 of 61	98.4%	★★★★★
2018	29.6	1 of 1	0.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	69.0	20 of 116	82.8%	★★★★☆
2025	53.6	96 of 237	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.5	39 of 110	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.6	40 of 112	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.7	29 of 80	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.8	62 of 106	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	72.0	19 of 121	84.3%	★★★★☆
2018	32.3	94 of 121	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	36.1	206 of 292	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.9	129 of 166	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	41.2	102 of 165	38.2%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	87.5	2 of 23	91.3%	★★★★★
2025	66.2	27 of 152	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	70.0	4 of 25	84.0%	★★★★☆
2023	76.9	3 of 25	88.0%	★★★★★
2022	66.5	6 of 23	73.9%	★★★★☆
2021	64.8	5 of 21	76.2%	★★★★☆
2019	81.0	3 of 28	89.3%	★★★★★
2018	60.0	12 of 35	65.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	42.1	141 of 248	43.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Homeless (2025)98th percentile+62 vs school

Native American (2026)91st percentile+54 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)83rd percentile+46 vs school

Female (2025)51st percentile+15 vs school

Special Education (2025)43rd percentile+7 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)38th percentile~ school

Male (2025)29th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts70%+21 vs state

Mathematics30%-14 vs state

Science27%-14 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Wakpala Elementary - 02 and help other families decide.

Rate Wakpala Elementary - 02

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 Wakpala Elementary - 02

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		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	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	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners immunized against measles (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wakpala Elementary - 02	Public	K-5	12250 SD Hwy 1806	Wakpala	57658	Corson County	Wakpala School District 15-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 845-3040	95	10	9.7	—	2 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	92 (96.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	45.8	128^th of 203 public elementary schools	36.9%		42.2	192^nd of 300 public elementary schools	36.0%	64	81.8	72.7	54.5	69.7	36.4	18.2	36.4	30.3	27.3		92.3%	7.7%	$25,371	$4,912	$20,459
Mobridge Upper Elementary - 04	Public	3-5	1107 1st Ave E	Mobridge	57601	Walworth County	Mobridge-Pollock School District 62-6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 845-9210	143	9	16.4	46.2%	97 (67.8%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.1%)	1 (0.7%)	37 (25.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.8%)	37.4	145^th of 203 public elementary schools	28.6%		60.8	120^th of 300 public elementary schools	60.0%	25	28.9	15.9	74.5	40.4	31.1	27.3	48.9	36.0	48.9				$11,521	$1,423	$10,099
Freeman Davis Elementary - 03	Public	K-2	601 E 4th Ave	Mobridge	57601	Walworth County	Mobridge-Pollock School District 62-6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 845-9275	149	11	13.6	53.7%	78 (52.3%)	1 (0.7%)	3 (2.0%)	1 (0.7%)	64 (43.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)								(n/a)											85.7%	14.3%	$11,343	$1,410	$9,933
Little Eagle School	Public	K-8	1 School Street	Little Eagle	57639	Corson County	Little Eagle School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(605) 823-4235	62	4	15.5	95.2%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
McLaughlin Elementary - 02	Public	PK, KG-5	601 Main	Mc Laughlin	57642	Corson County	McLaughlin School District 15-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 823-4484	203	19	10.9	—	4 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	192 (94.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)								(n/a)			15.4	8.6	16.7			7.4			100%	0%	$25,291	$7,376	$17,915

Frequently Asked Questions about Wakpala Elementary - 02

Is Wakpala Elementary - 02 a good school?

Wakpala Elementary - 02 ranks 128^th of 203 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Wakpala Elementary - 02?

Students at Wakpala Elementary - 02 are 97% American Indian, 2% White, 1% Two or more races.

What district is Wakpala Elementary - 02 in?

Wakpala School District 15-3

How many students attend Wakpala Elementary - 02?

In the 2024-25 school year, 95 students attended Wakpala Elementary - 02.

What schools do graduates of Wakpala Elementary - 02 attend?

Students who attend Wakpala Elementary - 02 usually go on to attend:

Middle : Wakpala Middle School - 04
High : Wakpala High School - 01

Rate Wakpala Elementary - 02!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

SDSouth Dakota Elementary School Rankings

SDSouth Dakota District Rankings

Schools in Wakpala, SD

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Wakpala Elementary - 02!

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.