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

Wakpala High School - 01

Public Grades 9-12

163^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 166 South Dakota High Schools

Better than 2% of South Dakota high schools

Summary

Wakpala High School - 01 is a public high school located in Wakpala, South Dakota, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 64 students. The school is part of the Smee School District 15-3, which is ranked 135 out of 147 school districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Wakpala High School - 01 has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing high schools in South Dakota, with rankings ranging from 163 out of 166 schools in 2024-2025 to 125 out of 135 schools in 2018-2019. The school has maintained a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger throughout the years. While the school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, it ranks 55 out of 83 South Dakota high schools for Native American students in 2024-2025, but 158 out of 162 for male students and 140 out of 154 for low socioeconomic status students in the same year. Wakpala High School - 01 has had a four-year graduation rate ranging from 73.3% to 86.4% in recent years, which is lower than the state average, and its dropout rate has also been high, ranging from 2.6% to 15.6% during the same period.

Compared to nearby schools, McLaughlin High School - 01 and Mobridge High School - 01, Wakpala High School - 01 performs significantly worse, with much lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Despite the high spending per student at Wakpala High School - 01, ranging from $18,891 to $24,197 in recent years, the school's performance remains among the lowest in the state, suggesting that factors beyond funding, such as teacher quality, curriculum, and community engagement, may be contributing to the school's challenges.

Students ?

6.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$30,028

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

12250 SD Hwy 1806
Wakpala, SD 57658

(605) 845-3040

District: Smee School District 15-3

Feeder schools for Wakpala High School - 01:

Elementary:	Wakpala Elementary - 02
Middle:	Wakpala Middle School - 04

Racial breakdown:

American Indian:

94.7%

Two or more races:

5.3%

See top rated South Dakota high schools

Compare Wakpala High School - 01 to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 1st percentile in 2007 → 2nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 6 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Dakota average (11% vs 50% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (2nd percentile)

!Graduation rate below the South Dakota average (73% vs 86%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school11%

District avg11%

South Dakota avg50%

163^rd of 166

South Dakota public high schools ?

Bottom 2%▲ up 2 pts since 2017

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

135^th of 147Smee 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
2025	5.0	163 of 166	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	3.7	135 of 141	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	2.2	138 of 140	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.7	125 of 135	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.2	131 of 138	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	0.8	137 of 137	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	0.2	143 of 144	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	0.3	148 of 150	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	0.1	142 of 144	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	0.9	139 of 141	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	0.0	136 of 136	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	0.0	137 of 137	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	0.0	132 of 132	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2003	0.1	133 of 133	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	18.1	143 of 164	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	47.9	6 of 21	71.4%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	17.1	140 of 154	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.0	43 of 48	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.3	36 of 37	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.7	48 of 53	9.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	4.0	158 of 162	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	13.1	74 of 89	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	34.0	55 of 83	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	11 of 16	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	22.0	16 of 17	5.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.1	9 of 18	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	23.4	15 of 19	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

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)71st percentile+70 vs school

Native American (2025)34th percentile+32 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)17th percentile+15 vs school

Female (2025)13th percentile+11 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)9th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)2nd percentile~ school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts22%-42 vs state

Science11%-38 vs state

Mathematics0%-36 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Wakpala High School - 01 and help other families decide.

Rate Wakpala High School - 01

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 High School - 01

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 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 12th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 12th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wakpala High School - 01	Public	9-12	12250 SD Hwy 1806	Wakpala	57658	Corson County	Smee School District 15-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 845-3040	38	6	6.1	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (94.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.3%)	5	163^rd of 166 public high schools	1.8%		3.7	135^th of 141 public high schools	4.3%	28	22.2			0.0			11.1		$30,028	$3,337	$26,692
Mobridge High School - 01	Public	9-12	1107 1st Ave E	Mobridge	57601	Walworth County	Mobridge-Pollock School District 62-6	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 845-9202	194	13	14.9	36.6%	101 (52.1%)	3 (1.5%)	9 (4.6%)	1 (0.5%)	68 (35.1%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (6.2%)	62.9	63^rd of 166 public high schools	62.0%		58.1	60^th of 141 public high schools	57.4%	3	68.3			34.2			53.7		$11,078	$1,168	$9,911
McLaughlin High School - 01	Public	9-12	701 Main	Mc Laughlin	57642	Corson County	McLaughlin School District 15-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 823-4484	155	19	8.2	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	152 (98.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)	8.5	158^th of 166 public high schools	4.8%		1.7	141^st of 141 public high schools	0.0%	17	22.2	20.0	21.9	3.7	0.0	3.1	11.1	9.4	$19,690	$1,663	$18,027

Frequently Asked Questions about Wakpala High School - 01

How many students attend Wakpala High School - 01?

In the 2024-25 school year, 38 students attended Wakpala High School - 01.

What schools feed into Wakpala High School - 01?

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

Elementary : Wakpala Elementary - 02
Middle : Wakpala Middle School - 04

Is Wakpala High School - 01 a good school?

Wakpala High School - 01 ranks in the bottom 1.8% of South Dakota high schools.

What district is Wakpala High School - 01 in?

Smee School District 15-3

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

Students at Wakpala High School - 01 are 95% American Indian, 5% Two or more races.

Rate Wakpala High School - 01!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

SDSouth Dakota High 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 High School - 01!

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.