Best Public Schools in Zip Code 57231

Summary:

The 57231 zip code area is home to 3 schools - 1 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high school - all part of the De Smet School District 38-2. Among these schools, Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02 and De Smet Middle School - 03 stand out as high-performing institutions, while De Smet High School - 01 faces academic challenges.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02 consistently ranks among the top 101 elementary schools in South Dakota, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are significantly higher than the state averages, particularly in 3rd grade. In contrast, De Smet High School - 01 struggles with academic performance, with proficiency rates below the state averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science for 11th grade.

De Smet Middle School - 03 has shown remarkable improvement, moving from the bottom half of South Dakota middle schools to the top 44 in the 2024-2025 school year, earning a 4-star rating. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics for all grades are higher than the district and state averages, with 6th and 7th grade students performing exceptionally well. These findings suggest that the De Smet School District 38-2 has implemented effective strategies to support student learning and achievement, particularly at the elementary and middle school levels.

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 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 11th 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 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02	Public	PK, KG-5	405 Ingalls Ave SW	De Smet	57231	Kingsbury County	De Smet School District 38-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 854-3963	176	12	14.2	29.0%	152 (86.4%)	1 (0.6%)	8 (4.5%)	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.3%)	70.6	77^th of 300 public elementary schools	74.3%		62.7	70^th of 201 public elementary schools	65.2%	7	80.0	53.6	45.0					60.3	84.0	57.2	45.0					63.0	45.0			$13,884	$681	$13,203
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
De Smet Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	405 3rd St SW	De Smet	57231	Kingsbury County	De Smet School District 38-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 854-3423	91	6	16.3	25.3%	82 (90.1%)	2 (2.2%)	5 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.2%)	72.9	44^th of 246 public middle schools	82.1%		41.8	95^th of 147 public middle schools	35.4%	51				75.0	76.7	53.1		67.8				67.9	46.7	43.8		52.2		43.8		$12,660	$68	$12,592

Cities Near Zip Code 57231

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
De Smet	0.23 mi	3	66^th
Lake Preston	9.02 mi	3	9^th
Iroquois	13.2 mi	5	178^th
Willow Lake	17.24 mi	5	126^th
Arlington	20.57 mi	6	117^th

See the top SD South Dakota cities

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.