Summary:
The city of White River, South Dakota is home to three public schools serving grades K-12: White River Elementary - 02, White River High School - 01, and White River Middle School - 04. These schools, part of the White River School District 47-1, are collectively underperforming compared to state averages on key metrics like test scores, attendance, and graduation rates.
None of the three White River schools stand out as high-performing. All three have significantly lower proficiency rates on state assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to the state average. For example, the district-wide ELA proficiency rate was just 23.83% in 2023-2024, well below the state average of 50.04%. The middle and high schools perform particularly poorly, with proficiency rates around 20-25% in ELA and 10-15% in Math. Attendance is also a concern, with White River Elementary reporting a high chronic absenteeism rate of 19.5% in 2023-2024.
Despite relatively high per-student spending and low student-teacher ratios, the White River schools continue to struggle. This suggests systemic challenges within the district that need to be addressed. The extremely high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, up to 100% at the elementary and high school, indicate the schools serve a predominantly low-income population, which likely plays a significant role in their performance. Targeted interventions and support systems will be crucial to improving outcomes for students in the White River School District.
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