Spearfish School District 40-2

525 E Illinois St
Spearfish, SD 57783
(District boundaries shown in map)
7/
10
Top 50%

Top Rankings

Spearfish School District 40-2 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in South Dakota for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 2 public middle schools serving 580 students in Spearfish School District 40-2. This district's average middle testing ranking is 7/10, which is in the top 50% of public middle schools in South Dakota.
Public Middle Schools in Spearfish School District 40-2 have an average math proficiency score of 45% (versus the South Dakota public middle school average of 39%), and reading proficiency score of 52% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 13% of the student body (majority Hispanic and American Indian), which is less than the South Dakota public middle school average of 42% (majority American Indian).

Overview

This School District
This State (SD)
# Schools
8 Schools
297 Schools
# Students
2,433 Students
40,141 Students
# Teachers
174 Teachers
2,999 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1

District Rank

Spearfish School District 40-2, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 146 school districts in South Dakota (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 85-89% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School District
State Average (SD)
#51 out of 148 school districts
(Top 50%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Spearfish School District 40-2, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
49%
42%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Spearfish School District 40-2 and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of South Dakota by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
55%
51%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Spearfish School District 40-2 and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of South Dakota by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
50%
42%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Spearfish School District 40-2 and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of South Dakota by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
85-89%
82%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Spearfish School District 40-2 and public school graduation rate of South Dakota by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.25
0.59
# American Indian Students
59 Students
10,455 Students
% American Indian Students
2%
26%
# Asian Students
31 Students
519 Students
% Asian Students
1%
1%
# Hispanic Students
115 Students
2,703 Students
% Hispanic Students
5%
7%
# Black Students
19 Students
1,024 Students
% Black Students
1%
3%
# White Students
2,104 Students
23,358 Students
% White Students
87%
58%
# Hawaiian Students
3 Students
46 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
102 Students
2,036 Students
% of Two or more races Students
4%
5%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
-
174
# Students in K Grade:
166
896
# Students in 1st Grade:
158
903
# Students in 2nd Grade:
190
918
# Students in 3rd Grade:
175
750
# Students in 4th Grade:
175
793
# Students in 5th Grade:
169
1,598
# Students in 6th Grade:
178
9,664
# Students in 7th Grade:
202
11,058
# Students in 8th Grade:
200
11,237
# Students in 9th Grade:
188
674
# Students in 10th Grade:
217
578
# Students in 11th Grade:
223
481
# Students in 12th Grade:
192
417
# Ungraded Students:
-
-

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $11,091 in this school district is less than the state median of $13,121. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $10,151 is less than the state median of $12,623. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (SD)
Total Revenue
$27 MM
$1,916 MM
This chart displays total revenue of Spearfish School District 40-2 and median value from total revenues of all school districts in South Dakota by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$25 MM
$1,844 MM
This chart displays total spending of Spearfish School District 40-2 and median value from total spendings of all school districts in South Dakota by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$11,091
$13,121
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in Spearfish School District 40-2 and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in South Dakota by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$10,151
$12,623
This chart displays average spending per public school student in Spearfish School District 40-2 and average spending per public school student of all school districts in South Dakota by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best Spearfish School District 40-2 Public Middle Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Spearfish Academy At Canyon Hills Elementary - 09
Alternative School
(Math: <50% | Reading: <50% )
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
2519 Windmill Dr
Spearfish, SD 57783
(605) 717-1229
Grades: 4-8
| 7 students
Rank: #22.
Spearfish Middle School - 05
(Math: 45% | Reading: 52%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
1600 N Canyon
Spearfish, SD 57783
(605) 717-1215
Grades: 6-8
| 573 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 8 schools
  • Grades: KG-12
  • Enrollment: 2,433 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 14%
  • : 85-89% (Top 20% in SD)
  • : Top 50%
  • : 49% (Top 50%)
  • : 55% (Top 50%)
  • : 50% (Top 30%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), SD Dept. of Education

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