Elementary Schools in Dakota Valley School District 61-8

The Dakota Valley School District 61-8 in South Dakota is home to two high-performing elementary schools: Dakota Valley Elementary - 02 and Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04. Both schools have consistently ranked in the top half of South Dakota elementary schools, with Dakota Valley Elementary - 02 earning a 4-star rating and Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 earning a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, the schools excel, with both demonstrating high proficiency rates on Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics, often exceeding state averages. For example, in 2023-2024, Dakota Valley Elementary - 02 had 53.33% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 46.17%, while Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 had 60.1% of all grades proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 50.04%. Additionally, the schools maintain low chronic absenteeism rates, with Dakota Valley Elementary - 02 at 8.1% and Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 at 9.0% in 2023-2024.

The schools also differ in some key metrics, such as spending per student and student-teacher ratio. Dakota Valley Elementary - 02 had a higher spending per student of $11,541 in 2022-2023, compared to $8,861 at Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04. Similarly, Dakota Valley Elementary - 02 had a lower student-teacher ratio of 12:1, while Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 had a ratio of 14.9:1. These differences may contribute to the schools' varying academic performance, but both are providing a quality education to their students within the high-performing Dakota Valley School District 61-8.