Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09

Summary:

Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 is a public high school in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, serving 57 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Belle Fourche School District 09-1, which is ranked 102 out of 126 school districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to nearby schools like Belle Fourche High School - 01 and Spearfish High School - 01, Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 consistently underperforms in academic achievement, with only 37.5% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts and just 25% proficient or better in Science. The school's four-year graduation rate has been low, ranging from 57.5% to 73.9%, significantly lower than the 91.4% rate at Belle Fourche High School - 01. Additionally, Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 has had high dropout rates, ranging from 13.7% to 24.4%, much higher than the 0.7% rate at Belle Fourche High School - 01.

The high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch at Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09, ranging from 31.71% to 43.86%, may be a contributing factor to the school's lower academic performance and higher dropout rates. Addressing these challenges will require targeted interventions and support to meet the specific needs of the school's student population, as well as potential collaboration with nearby high-performing schools to leverage resources and expertise.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1301 12th Ave
Belle Fourche, SD 57717

(605) 723-0955

District: Belle Fourche School District 09-1

SchoolDigger Rank:
127^th of 141 South Dakota High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,352

Student/teacher ratio: 14.0

Number of students: 35

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.4%

Two or more races:

14.3%

Hispanic:

8.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 31.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 ranks worse than 90.1% of high schools in South Dakota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.4. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (71.4%), two or more races (14.3%), Hispanic (8.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 31.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 is 14. (See more...)

Compare Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 employs 2.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 is $8,352.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09:

SchoolDigger ranks Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 127^th of 141 South Dakota public high schools. (See Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Male students:

White students:

Belle Fourche School District 09-1:

SchoolDigger ranks Belle Fourche School District 09-1 102^nd of 126 South Dakota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09

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Rank History for all students at Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SD State Percentile
2015	0.94	133^rd	133	0.0%
2021	2.05	139^th	140	0.7%
2023	1.40	137^th	138	0.7%
2024	9.40	127^th	141	9.9%

See the entire list of South Dakota High School Rankings!

Rank History for Male students at Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	11.29	95^th	107	11.2%

See the entire list of Best South Dakota High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	5.20	120^th	125	4.0%

See the entire list of Best South Dakota High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: South Dakota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: South Dakota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2008	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
2010	30	0	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	32
2011	35	0	0	0	1	0	0	36
2012	49	0	0	0	3	0	0	52
2013	50	0	0	0	1	0	2	53
2014	39	0	0	1	0	0	4	44
2015	38	0	0	6	1	0	3	48
2016	29	0	0	3	0	0	3	35
2017	26	0	0	2	4	0	1	33
2018	32	0	0	6	2	0	2	42
2019	28	0	0	4	1	0	2	35
2020	33	0	0	4	1	0	0	38
2021	33	0	0	6	0	0	2	41
2022	44	0	0	2	2	0	3	51
2023	42	0	0	7	3	0	5	57
2024	25	0	0	3	2	0	5	35

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	0	n/a	n/a	n/a
2010	32	n/a	n/a	n/a
2011	36	n/a	n/a	50
2012	52	1.0	52.0	30.8
2013	53	n/a	n/a	45.3
2014	44	n/a	n/a	56.8
2015	48	1.0	48.0	62.5
2016	35	1.0	35.0	62.9
2017	33	1.0	33.0	69.7
2018	42	3.0	14.0	52.4
2019	35	2.0	17.5	65.7
2020	38	2.0	19.0	47.4
2021	41	2.0	20.5	31.7
2022	51	3.0	17.0	41.2
2023	57	3.0	19.0	43.9
2024	35	2.5	14.0	31.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	0	n/a	n/a	n/a
2010	32	n/a	n/a	n/a
2011	36	n/a	n/a	50
2012	52	1.0	52.0	30.8
2013	53	n/a	n/a	45.3
2014	44	n/a	n/a	56.8
2015	48	1.0	48.0	62.5
2016	35	1.0	35.0	62.9
2017	33	1.0	33.0	69.7
2018	42	3.0	14.0	52.4
2019	35	2.0	17.5	65.7
2020	38	2.0	19.0	47.4
2021	41	2.0	20.5	31.7
2022	51	3.0	17.0	41.2
2023	57	3.0	19.0	43.9
2024	35	2.5	14.0	31.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2020	$331 (5.1%)	$6,188 (94.9%)	$6,519
2021	$373 (5.8%)	$6,102 (94.2%)	$6,475
2022	$2,144 (26.9%)	$5,833 (73.1%)	$7,977
2023	$2,104 (25.2%)	$6,248 (74.8%)	$8,352

Data source: South Dakota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09)	33.3	25	8.3%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Belle Fourche School District 09-1)	63.2	66.1	2.8%
11th Grade English Language Arts (South Dakota)	64.4	65.2	0.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	35	57	62.9%
African American	0	0
American Indian	1	3	200%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	4	7	75%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	28	42	50%
Two or More Races	2	5	150%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	65.7%	43.9%	21.9%

Schools Near Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2024)		Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Belle Fourche High School - 01	Public	9-12	1301 12th Ave	Belle Fourche	57717	Butte County	Belle Fourche School District 09-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 723-3350	372	26	14.3	22.8%	327 (87.9%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.8%)	50.3	74^th of 141 public high schools	47.5%		73	26^th of 138 public high schools	81.2%	48	56.7		37.3	50.8		$9,768	$867	$8,901
Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09	Public	9-12	1301 12th Ave	Belle Fourche	57717	Butte County	Belle Fourche School District 09-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 723-0955	35	3	14.0	31.4%	25 (71.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (14.3%)	9.4	127^th of 141 public high schools	9.9%		1.4	137^th of 138 public high schools	0.7%	10	37.5	35.3		25.0	23.5	$8,352	$2,104	$6,248
Spearfish High School - 01	Public	9-12	1725 N Main	Spearfish	57783	Lawrence County	Spearfish School District 40-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 717-1212	771	45	17.1	14.0%	663 (86.0%)	10 (1.3%)	36 (4.7%)	13 (1.7%)	23 (3.0%)	1 (0.1%)	25 (3.2%)	59.3	58^th of 141 public high schools	58.9%		60.1	56^th of 138 public high schools	59.4%	2	66.7		39.0	50.8		$8,354	$336	$8,018
Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 10	Public	9-12	2519 Windmill Dr	Spearfish	57783	Lawrence County	Spearfish School District 40-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 717-1229	18	2	7.5		12 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (11.1%)	1 (5.6%)	2 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.6%)								(n/a)						$29,190	$3,143	$26,047
Black Hills Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 07	Public	9-12	2519 Windmill Dr	Spearfish	57783	Lawrence County	Black Hills Special Services Cooperative	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 347-4467	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09

What district is Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 in?

Belle Fourche School District 09-1

What is the racial makeup of Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09?

Students at Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 are 71% White, 14% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 6% American Indian.

Is Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 a good school?

Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09 ranks in the bottom 9.9% of South Dakota high schools.

How many students attend Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09?

In the 2023-24 school year, 35 students attended Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09.

Rate Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Dakota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.