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Willow Lake High School - 01

Q: Is Willow Lake High School - 01 a good school?

Willow Lake High School - 01 ranks 91 st of 166 South Dakota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

91^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 166 South Dakota High Schools

Better than 45% of South Dakota high schools

Summary

Willow Lake High School - 01 is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Willow Lake, South Dakota, with a total enrollment of 56 students. The school is part of the Willow Lake School District 12-3, which is ranked 131 out of 147 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Willow Lake High School - 01 has experienced significant fluctuations in its statewide ranking and rating, ranging from a high of 5-star status to a low of 1-star status. The school performs well in English Language Arts, exceeding the state average, but struggles in mathematics and science, where it lags behind the state averages. Compared to nearby schools, Willow Lake High School - 01 generally outperforms Henry High School - 01 and Clark High School - 01, but lags behind the higher-performing Hamlin High School - 01 and De Smet High School - 01.

Willow Lake High School - 01 has a relatively low percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients compared to nearby schools, suggesting that the school may serve a more affluent student population. This could be a contributing factor to the school's academic performance. By addressing its weaknesses, learning from higher-performing nearby schools, and leveraging its strengths, Willow Lake High School - 01 may be able to improve its overall academic outcomes and provide a better educational experience for its students.

Students ?

11.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,414

Per pupil spending ?

29%

Free/discounted lunch ?

400 Garfield Ave
Willow Lake, SD 57278

(605) 625-5945

District: Willow Lake School District 12-3

Feeder schools for Willow Lake High School - 01:

Elementary:	Collins Colony Elementary - 06
	Mayfield Colony Elementary - 04
	Shamrock Colony Elementary - 05
	Willow Lake Elementary - 02
Middle:	Willow Lake Middle School - 03

Racial breakdown:

White:

95.7%

American Indian:

2.9%

Hispanic:

1.4%

See top rated South Dakota high schools

Compare Willow Lake High School - 01 to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 6th percentile in 2015 → 45th in 2025

Strengths

✓100% graduate in 4 years — above the South Dakota average (86%)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 45th (2025) from a 6th-percentile low (2015)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

!Science scores 11 pts below the South Dakota average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school46%

District avg46%

South Dakota avg50%

91^st of 166

South Dakota public high schools ?

Bottom 45%▲ up 39 pts since 2015

From bottom 6% (2015) to bottom 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

131^st of 147Willow Lake School District 12-3 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	50.8	91 of 166	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	89.4	9 of 141	93.6%	★★★★★
2023	16.9	121 of 138	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.4	114 of 134	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	60.1	56 of 140	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.0	71 of 138	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	12.0	127 of 137	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	29.6	117 of 141	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	8.8	125 of 133	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	67.5	51 of 144	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	37.2	105 of 143	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	85.5	10 of 141	92.9%	★★★★★
2010	78.1	20 of 150	86.7%	★★★★☆
2009	82.3	16 of 144	88.9%	★★★★☆
2008	43.6	82 of 135	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	40.4	102 of 141	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	81.0	18 of 136	86.8%	★★★★☆
2005	33.4	107 of 137	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	48.4	77 of 132	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2003	58.0	62 of 133	53.4%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	29.8	135 of 164	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	53.7	68 of 154	55.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	69.0	42 of 162	74.1%	★★★★☆
2021	49.7	49 of 89	44.9%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	20.4	67 of 83	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	30.6	83 of 140	40.7%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	48.8	93 of 158	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	85.6	10 of 125	92.0%	★★★★★
2023	18.2	107 of 121	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.0	112 of 123	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	74.8	23 of 129	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	51.6	65 of 123	47.2%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Male (2025)74th percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile+11 vs school

White (2025)41st percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2025)41st percentile-4 vs school

Native American (2025)19th percentile-26 vs school

Female (2025)18th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts69%+5 vs state

Science38%-11 vs state

Mathematics31%-5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Willow Lake 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 Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Willow Lake High School - 01	Public	9-12	400 Garfield Ave	Willow Lake	57278	Clark County	Willow Lake School District 12-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 625-5945	69	6	11.0	29.0%	66 (95.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50.8	91^st of 166 public high schools	45.2%		89.4	9^th of 141 public high schools	93.6%	82	68.8	31.3	37.5	$14,414	$211	$14,204
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
De Smet High School - 01	Public	9-12	405 3rd St SW	De Smet	57231	Kingsbury County	De Smet School District 38-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 854-3423	95	9	10.1	27.4%	87 (91.6%)	1 (1.1%)	7 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34.7	125^th of 166 public high schools	24.7%		41.2	86^th of 141 public high schools	39.0%	39	48.3	31.0	31.0	$15,341	$92	$15,249
Clark High School - 01	Public	9-12	220 N Clinton St	Clark	57225	Clark County	Clark School District 12-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 532-3604	124	9	13.5	27.4%	109 (87.9%)	1 (0.8%)	11 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.4%)	14	152^nd of 166 public high schools	8.4%		4	134^th of 141 public high schools	5.0%	18	14.3	21.4	17.9	$11,940	$34	$11,905
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Willow Lake High School - 01

What district is Willow Lake High School - 01 in?

Willow Lake School District 12-3

What schools feed into Willow Lake High School - 01?

Willow Lake High School - 01 is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Collins Colony Elementary - 06
Elementary : Mayfield Colony Elementary - 04
Elementary : Shamrock Colony Elementary - 05
Elementary : Willow Lake Elementary - 02
Middle : Willow Lake Middle School - 03

Is Willow Lake High School - 01 a good school?

Willow Lake High School - 01 ranks 91^st of 166 South Dakota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Willow Lake High School - 01?

In the 2024-25 school year, 69 students attended Willow Lake High School - 01.

What is the racial makeup of Willow Lake High School - 01?

Students at Willow Lake High School - 01 are 96% White, 3% American Indian, 1% Hispanic.

Rate Willow Lake High School - 01!

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Schools in Willow Lake, SD

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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.