Waverly School District 14-5

The Waverly School District 14-5 in South Dakota operates three schools: Waverly-South Shore Elementary, Waverly-South Shore High School, and Waverly-South Shore Middle School. Overall, the performance of these schools is concerning, with all three institutions ranking in the bottom half of their respective school types within the state.

The key metrics reveal significant challenges across the district. Test scores are well below state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, with the elementary and middle schools performing particularly poorly. Graduation rates at the high school are relatively high at 94.1%, but the dropout rate of 1.0% is still higher than ideal. The schools also have high rates of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a relatively high level of economic disadvantage among the student populations.

Despite higher per-student spending and relatively small student-teacher ratios, the Waverly schools are still struggling to improve academic achievement. This suggests that simply investing more money may not be enough, and the district should examine how resources are being allocated and explore evidence-based strategies to boost student learning. Addressing the root causes of the low test scores, high absenteeism, and other issues will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach focused on equity, effective teaching, and targeted interventions for economically disadvantaged students.