Sioux Falls School District 49-5

201 E 38th St
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
(District boundaries shown in map)
4/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Sioux Falls School District 49-5 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in South Dakota for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 14 public preschools serving 7,827 students in Sioux Falls School District 49-5. This district's average pre testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public pre schools in South Dakota.
Public Preschools in Sioux Falls School District 49-5 have an average math proficiency score of 45% (versus the South Dakota public pre school average of 45%), and reading proficiency score of 46% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 49% of the student body (majority Hispanic and Black), which is more than the South Dakota public preschool average of 34% (majority American Indian and Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (SD)
# Schools
45 Schools
148 Schools
# Students
25,060 Students
32,407 Students
# Teachers
1,669 Teachers
2,479 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Sioux Falls School District 49-5, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 146 school districts in South Dakota (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 86% has increased from 84% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (SD)
#92 out of 148 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
41%
42%
48%
51%
42%
42%
86%
82%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.65
0.53
% American Indian
5%
13%
% Asian
2%
1%
% Hispanic
17%
10%
% Black
13%
4%
% White
55%
66%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
8%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $12,391 in this school district is less than the state median of $13,047. The school district revenue/student has grown by 11% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $13,147 is higher than the state median of $12,552. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (SD)
Total Revenue
$311 MM
$1,916 MM
Spending
$330 MM
$1,844 MM
Revenue / Student
$12,391
$13,047
Spending / Student
$13,147
$12,552

Best Sioux Falls School District 49-5 Public Preschools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Sonia Sotomayor Elementary - 65
(Math: 68% | Reading: 74%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
1510 S Lake Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
(605) 367-4655
Gr: PK-5 | 690 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 26%
Rank: #22.
John Harris Elementary - 23
(Math: 64% | Reading: 63%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
3501 E 49th St
Sioux Falls, SD 57103
(605) 371-4111
Gr: PK-5 | 666 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 21%
Rank: #33.
Rf Pettigrew Elementary - 17
(Math: 57% | Reading: 64%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
7900 W 53rd St
Sioux Falls, SD 57106
(605) 362-3560
Gr: PK-5 | 846 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 36%
Rank: #44.
Discovery Elementary - 26
(Math: 60% | Reading: 59%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
1506 S Discovery Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57106
(605) 362-3530
Gr: PK-5 | 873 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 20%
Rank: #55.
Harvey Dunn Elementary - 54
(Math: 63% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
2400 S Bahnson Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57103
(605) 371-4120
Gr: PK-5 | 681 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 37%
Rank: #66.
Robert Frost Elementary - 18
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
3101 S 4th Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
(605) 367-6170
Gr: PK-5 | 447 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 29%
Rank: #77.
Lowell Elementary - 28
(Math: 35-39% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
710 W 18th St
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
(605) 367-8378
Gr: PK-5 | 426 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 73%
Rank: #88.
Anne Sullivan Elementary - 20
(Math: 28% | Reading: 32%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
3701 E 3rd St
Sioux Falls, SD 57103
(605) 367-6084
Gr: PK-5 | 632 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 86%
Rank: #99.
Laura B. Anderson Elementary - 10
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1600 N Wayland Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57103
(605) 367-6130
Gr: PK-5 | 291 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 67%
Rank: #1010.
Hayward Elementary - 38
(Math: 22% | Reading: 19%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
400 N Valley View Rd
Sioux Falls, SD 57107
(605) 367-4590
Gr: PK-5 | 728 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 72%
Rank: #1111.
Garfield Elementary - 19
(Math: 19% | Reading: 29%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
705 S Roberts Dr
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
(605) 367-6180
Gr: PK-5 | 574 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 68%
Rank: #1212.
Cleveland Elementary - 14
(Math: 15-19% | Reading: 15-19%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1000 S Edward Dr
Sioux Falls, SD 57103
(605) 367-6150
Gr: PK-5 | 465 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 76%
Rank: #1313.
Hawthorne Elementary - 56
(Math: 10-14% | Reading: 15-19%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
601 N Spring Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
(605) 367-4580
Gr: PK-5 | 443 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 69%
Rank: n/an/a
2205 N Career Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57107
(605) 367-7950
Gr: PK | 65 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Minority enrollment: 71%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 45 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 25,060 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 15:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 45%
  • : 86% (Top 20% in SD)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 41% (Btm 50%)
  • : 48% (Btm 50%)
  • : 42% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), SD Dept. of Education

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