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Watertown High School - 01

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

Watertown High School - 01 ranks 81 st of 166 South Dakota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

81^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 166 South Dakota High Schools

Better than 51% of South Dakota high schools

Summary

Watertown High School - 01 is a public high school serving 1,222 students in grades 9-12 in Watertown, South Dakota. The school is part of the Watertown School District 14-4, which is ranked 99 out of 147 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Watertown High School - 01 has consistently performed above the state average in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. In 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates were 66.3% in ELA, 29.3% in Math, and 49.45% in Science, compared to the state averages of 50.93%, 43.49%, and 43.63%, respectively. The school's performance in Mathematics is particularly noteworthy, as it has outperformed the state average by a significant margin in recent years. Additionally, Watertown High School - 01 has maintained high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 84% to 93.5% in recent years, which are consistently above the state average.

Comparing Watertown High School - 01 to nearby schools, Hamlin High School has consistently outperformed Watertown High School - 01 in academic assessments, particularly in Mathematics and Science. However, Henry High School and Waverly-South Shore High School have significantly lower academic performance compared to Watertown High School - 01. Meanwhile, Castlewood High School has shown strong academic performance, with proficiency rates comparable to or exceeding Watertown High School - 01 in some areas.

1,222

Students ?

16.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,121

Per pupil spending ?

30.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 NE 9th St
Watertown, SD 57201

(605) 882-6316

District: Watertown School District 14-4

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.6%

Hispanic:

8.1%

Two or more races:

5.6%

See top rated South Dakota high schools

Compare Watertown High School - 01 to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 53rd percentile in 2015 → 51st in 2025

Strengths

✓94% graduate in 4 years — above the South Dakota average (86%)

✓Above the South Dakota median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Mathematics scores 14 pts below the South Dakota average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school48%

District avg51%

South Dakota avg47%

81^st of 166

South Dakota public high schools ?

Top 49%▼ down 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

99^th of 147Watertown School District 14-4 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	56.5	81 of 166	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.2	75 of 141	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.7	70 of 138	49.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.5	65 of 134	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.3	55 of 140	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	81.2	19 of 135	85.9%	★★★★☆
2018	69.0	41 of 138	70.3%	★★★★☆
2017	63.4	52 of 137	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	57.1	61 of 141	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	54.1	62 of 133	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	62.4	63 of 144	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	76.8	26 of 143	81.8%	★★★★☆
2011	69.5	46 of 141	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	49.4	94 of 150	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2009	38.4	99 of 144	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	53.9	68 of 135	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	80.8	17 of 141	87.9%	★★★★☆
2006	46.0	82 of 136	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	33.5	106 of 137	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	47.0	80 of 132	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2003	67.1	46 of 133	65.4%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	71.5	6 of 31	80.6%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	54.4	9 of 45	80.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	58.6	74 of 164	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.7	56 of 93	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.1	50 of 95	47.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.3	44 of 84	47.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.6	33 of 89	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.8	10 of 83	88.0%	★★★★☆
2018	64.4	31 of 82	62.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	32.7	56 of 81	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	7.4	17 of 17	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	28.2	10 of 15	33.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	28.4	8 of 11	27.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.1	5 of 9	44.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	41.0	89 of 154	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.1	30 of 48	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.6	37 of 46	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	50.2	13 of 25	48.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.9	10 of 37	73.0%	★★★★☆
2019	58.3	13 of 44	70.5%	★★★★☆
2018	50.5	27 of 53	49.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	50.2	79 of 162	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.9	55 of 107	48.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.0	53 of 96	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.5	35 of 87	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.5	44 of 89	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.6	13 of 88	85.2%	★★★★☆
2018	71.6	22 of 90	75.6%	★★★★☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	29.9	5 of 11	54.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	54.6	35 of 89	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	17.7	12 of 14	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	34.8	54 of 83	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.8	15 of 17	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	46.7	11 of 19	42.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	41.4	72 of 140	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.7	10 of 19	47.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.6	7 of 10	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.7	6 of 17	64.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	54.0	78 of 158	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.1	69 of 125	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.2	70 of 121	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	57.7	56 of 123	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.3	52 of 129	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.6	24 of 123	80.5%	★★★★☆
2018	65.9	37 of 123	69.9%	★★★★☆

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)

Asian (2025)81st percentile+29 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)80th percentile+29 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)61st percentile+9 vs school

Female (2025)55th percentile+4 vs school

Migrant (2025)55th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)51st percentile~ school

White (2025)51st percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)49th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)42nd percentile-9 vs school

Native American (2025)35th percentile-16 vs school

Hispanic (2025)31st percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts66%+15 vs state

Science49%+6 vs state

Mathematics29%-14 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Administration talks at you. Does not want to integrate parental solutions to ongoing poor behavior patterns. Simply continues to lower the bar so graduation rate appears decent. Passing with all D's is good enough and proficient is only 75. Uggh! Close Quote

Schools Near Watertown 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
Watertown High School - 01	Public	9-12	200 NE 9th St	Watertown	57201	Codington County	Watertown School District 14-4	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 882-6316	1,222	73	16.8	30.1%	997 (81.6%)	5 (0.4%)	99 (8.1%)	8 (0.7%)	44 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (5.6%)	56.5	81^st of 166 public high schools	51.2%		50.2	75^th of 141 public high schools	46.8%	6	66.8	0.0	66.3	29.5	0.0	29.3	49.8	49.5	$10,121	$410	$9,711
Waverly-South Shore High School - 01	Public	9-12	319 Mary Pl	Waverly	57201	Codington County	Waverly School District 14-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 886-9174	86	7	12.2	22.1%	77 (89.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)	31.6	129^th of 166 public high schools	22.3%		14.3	121^st of 141 public high schools	14.2%	8	43.5			30.4			30.4		$13,223	$00	$13,223
Castlewood High School - 01	Public	9-12	310 E Harry St	Castlewood	57223	Hamlin County	Castlewood School District 28-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 793-2497	112	7	16.2	14.3%	102 (91.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.7%)	63.2	62^nd of 166 public high schools	62.7%		82	19^th of 141 public high schools	86.5%	43	86.2			31.0			44.8		$11,478	$147	$11,330
Florence High School - 01	Public	9-12	515 Main Ave	Florence	57235	Codington County	Florence School District 14-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 758-2412	102	9	10.8	25.5%	99 (97.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.0%)	30.1	132^nd of 166 public high schools	20.5%		36.6	92^nd of 141 public high schools	34.8%	40	42.9			33.3			23.8		$11,539	$00	$11,539
Henry High School - 01	Public	9-12	111 N Cedar	Henry	57243	Codington County	Henry School District 14-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 532-5364	54	5	10.8	38.9%	54 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29.1	133^rd of 166 public high schools	19.9%		6.7	131^st of 141 public high schools	7.1%	2	42.9			28.6			28.6
Hamlin High School - 01	Public	9-12	44577 188th St	Hayti	57241	Hamlin County	Hamlin School District 28-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 783-3644	226	19	12.2	25.7%	204 (90.3%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (6.6%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	75.5	30^th of 166 public high schools	81.9%		61.1	53^rd of 141 public high schools	62.4%	23	69.6			48.2			60.7		$15,439	$89	$15,350

Frequently Asked Questions about Watertown High School - 01

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

Students at Watertown High School - 01 are 82% White, 8% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races, 4% American Indian.

What district is Watertown High School - 01 in?

Watertown School District 14-4

How many students attend Watertown High School - 01?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,222 students attended Watertown High School - 01.

What schools feed into Watertown High School - 01?

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

Elementary : Jefferson Elementary - 09
Elementary : Lincoln Elementary - 05
Elementary : McKinley Early Childhood Center - 06
Elementary : Mellette Elementary - 07
Middle : Watertown Intermediate School - 13
Middle : Watertown Middle School - 02

Is Watertown High School - 01 a good school?

Watertown High School - 01 ranks 81^st of 166 South Dakota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Watertown High School - 01!

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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.