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Kadoka Elementary - 02

Q: Is Kadoka Elementary - 02 a good school?

Kadoka Elementary - 02 ranks 85 th of 300 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

85^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 300 South Dakota Elementary Schools

Better than 72% of South Dakota elementary schools

Summary

Kadoka Elementary - 02 is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in the small town of Kadoka, South Dakota. Part of the Kadoka Area School District 35-2, this school has consistently been ranked among the top elementary schools in the state, with a current ranking of 85 out of 300 and a 4-star rating.

Kadoka Elementary - 02 stands out for its strong academic performance, consistently outpacing state and district averages in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics. The school also has particularly high-performing student subgroups, ranking 12th out of 152 South Dakota elementary schools for Native American students and 79th out of 287 for White students. However, the school faces the challenge of relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.2% to 27.7% in recent years.

Compared to the nearby Philip Elementary - 02 in the Haakon School District 27-1, Kadoka Elementary - 02 appears to provide a more supportive and effective educational environment, with higher academic performance and a lower student-teacher ratio. Overall, Kadoka Elementary - 02 is a standout school in the region, offering a quality education to its diverse student population.

118

Students ?

9.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,677

Per pupil spending ?

51.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

800 Bayberry St
Kadoka, SD 57543

(605) 837-2173

District: Kadoka Area School District 35-2

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.9%

American Indian:

42.4%

Two or more races:

1.7%

See top rated South Dakota elementary schools

Compare Kadoka Elementary - 02 to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 10th percentile in 2015 → 72nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Dakota average (61% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 62 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the South Dakota median (72nd percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (28% vs 20% South Dakota)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school61%

District avg58%

South Dakota avg47%

85^th of 300

South Dakota public elementary schools ?

Top 28%▲ up 62 pts since 2015

From bottom 10% (2015) to top 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 4Elementary Schools in the Kadoka Area School District 35-2

51^st of 147Kadoka Area School District 35-2 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	70.2	85 of 300	71.7%	★★★★☆
2024	77.2	34 of 201	83.1%	★★★★☆
2023	81.9	22 of 204	89.2%	★★★★☆
2022	67.4	56 of 202	72.3%	★★★★☆
2021	70.9	47 of 202	76.7%	★★★★☆
2019	59.4	76 of 206	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.9	70 of 204	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	76.0	31 of 207	85.0%	★★★★☆
2016	53.4	108 of 206	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	15.8	189 of 209	9.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	51.9	126 of 201	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	27.4	181 of 214	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	46.4	144 of 205	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	23.6	182 of 206	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	36.0	154 of 196	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	32.2	163 of 194	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	63.0	100 of 291	65.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	60.6	73 of 237	69.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	67.4	80 of 292	72.6%	★★★★☆
2021	85.3	13 of 157	91.7%	★★★★★

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	78.8	12 of 152	92.1%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	35.0	172 of 248	30.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	67.6	79 of 287	72.5%	★★★★☆
2018	94.3	2 of 186	98.9%	★★★★★

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2017	51.5	83 of 146	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	44.2	94 of 147	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	50.8	73 of 145	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	39.3	116 of 145	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	31.5	120 of 146	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	27.2	119 of 140	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	19.8	126 of 139	9.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	19.8	126 of 139	9.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	31.4	119 of 136	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Native American (2025)92nd percentile+20 vs school

Male (2025)73rd percentile~ school

White (2025)72nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)69th percentile~ school

Female (2025)66th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2025)31st percentile-41 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Science82%+41 vs state

English Language Arts59%+8 vs state

Mathematics57%+13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Kadoka Elementary - 02

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
Kadoka Elementary - 02	Public	PK, KG-5	800 Bayberry St	Kadoka	57543	Jackson County	Kadoka Area School District 35-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 837-2173	118	12	9.4	51.7%	66 (55.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (42.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.7%)	70.2	85^th of 300 public elementary schools	71.7%		77.2	34^th of 201 public elementary schools	83.1%	51	35.7	63.2	81.8	59.1	50.0	52.6	72.7	56.8	81.8	$19,677	$6,400	$13,277
Philip Elementary - 02	Public	K-5	330 Scottie Ave	Philip	57567	Haakon County	Haakon School District 27-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 859-2001	131	10	12.5	25.2%	115 (87.8%)	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.8%)	61.7	117^th of 300 public elementary schools	61.0%		50.1	107^th of 201 public elementary schools	46.8%	10	70.0	43.5	42.1	51.6	60.0	60.9	42.1	54.8	42.1	$13,613	$1,323	$12,290

Frequently Asked Questions about Kadoka Elementary - 02

What is the racial makeup of Kadoka Elementary - 02?

Students at Kadoka Elementary - 02 are 56% White, 42% American Indian, 2% Two or more races.

Is Kadoka Elementary - 02 a good school?

Kadoka Elementary - 02 ranks 85^th of 300 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Kadoka Elementary - 02 in?

Kadoka Area School District 35-2

How many students attend Kadoka Elementary - 02?

In the 2024-25 school year, 118 students attended Kadoka Elementary - 02.

Rate Kadoka Elementary - 02!

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Schools in Kadoka, 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.