Summary:
The city of Harrisburg, South Dakota is home to 4 schools, including 2 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school, all part of the Harrisburg School District 41-2. The standout school in the district is Harrisburg High School - 01, which consistently ranks among the top high schools in the state with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The high school boasts strong academic performance, with 11th-grade proficiency rates exceeding state averages in English Language Arts, Math, and Science, as well as an impressive 91.3% four-year graduation rate and a low 1.9% dropout rate.
In contrast, the two elementary schools, Liberty Elementary - 02 and Freedom Elementary - 06, have lower performance metrics and rankings compared to the state and district averages, with both schools receiving 1-star ratings from SchoolDigger and struggling with lower proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Math across grade levels.
The district appears to allocate similar per-student spending across the schools, ranging from $9,590 to $10,305, suggesting that factors other than funding, such as teaching quality, curriculum, and school leadership, may be driving the performance differences. Additionally, the district has relatively low free/reduced lunch rates, indicating a relatively affluent student population, which may contribute to the overall strong performance of Harrisburg High School - 01.
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