Is Watertown High School - 01 a good school?

Watertown High School - 01 ranks 75 th of 141 South Dakota high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Watertown High School - 01?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,220 students attended Watertown High School - 01.

What is the racial makeup of Watertown High School - 01?

Students at Watertown High School - 01 are 85% White, 6% Hispanic, 4% American Indian, 4% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Watertown High School - 01?

Watertown High School - 01 is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Jefferson Elementary - 09 Elementary : Lincoln Elementary - 05 Elementary : McKinley Elementary - 06 Elementary : Mellette Elementary - 07 Elementary : Roosevelt Elementary - 08 Middle : Watertown Intermediate School - 13 Middle : Watertown Middle School - 02

Watertown High School - 01

Summary:

Watertown High School - 01 is a public high school serving 1,220 students in grades 9-12 in Watertown, South Dakota. The school is part of the Watertown School District 14-4, which is ranked 56 out of 126 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Watertown High School - 01 has maintained a strong four-year graduation rate, ranging from 85.7% to 91.9% over the past three school years, which is higher than the state average. The school also consistently outperforms the state average in the Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 66.31% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 63.01%. However, the school's performance is not uniform across all student subgroups, and there are opportunities to address the achievement gaps observed for certain demographic groups, such as Hispanic and Native American students.

When comparing Watertown High School - 01 to nearby high schools, such as Hamlin High School - 01 and Castlewood High School - 01, the data shows that these schools outperform Watertown High School - 01 in several metrics, such as graduation rates and test scores. However, Watertown High School - 01 still maintains a higher overall ranking compared to these schools. Additionally, Watertown High School - 01 has a relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (around 20%), which is lower than the state average, suggesting that the school serves a more affluent population compared to some of the nearby schools.

Detail:

Public 9-12

200 NE 9th St
Watertown, SD 57201

(605) 882-6316

District: Watertown School District 14-4

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,853

Feeder schools for Watertown High School - 01:

Elementary:	Jefferson Elementary - 09
	Lincoln Elementary - 05
	McKinley Elementary - 06
	Mellette Elementary - 07
	More...
	Roosevelt Elementary - 08
Middle:	Watertown Intermediate School - 13
	Watertown Middle School - 02

Student/teacher ratio: 16.6

Number of students: 1,220

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.5%

Hispanic:

5.6%

American Indian:

4.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 22.4%

See top rated South Dakota high schools

Compare Watertown High School - 01 to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Watertown High School - 01 ranks worse than 53.2% of high schools in South Dakota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.16. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Watertown High School - 01 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

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Watertown High School - 01 is $8,853.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Watertown High School - 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Watertown High School - 01 75^th of 141 South Dakota public high schools. (See Watertown High School - 01 in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Watertown School District 14-4:

SchoolDigger ranks Watertown School District 14-4 56^th of 126 South Dakota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Watertown High School - 01.

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Rank History for Watertown High School - 01

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Rank History for all students at Watertown High School - 01

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SD State Percentile
2003	67.13	46^th	133	65.4%
2004	47.04	80^th	132	39.4%
2005	33.45	106^th	137	22.6%
2006	46.02	82^nd	136	39.7%
2007	80.80	17^th	141	87.9%
2008	53.91	68^th	135	49.6%
2009	38.39	99^th	144	31.3%
2010	49.36	94^th	150	37.3%
2011	69.51	46^th	141	67.4%
2012	76.85	26^th	143	81.8%
2013	62.42	63^rd	144	56.3%
2015	54.07	62^nd	133	53.4%
2016	57.15	61^st	141	56.7%
2017	63.44	52^nd	137	62.0%
2018	69.05	41^st	138	70.3%
2019	81.25	19^th	135	85.9%
2021	60.26	55^th	140	60.7%
2022	58.50	65^th	134	51.5%
2023	54.72	70^th	138	49.3%
2024	50.16	75^th	141	46.8%

See the entire list of South Dakota High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Watertown High School - 01

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	17.69	12^th	14	14.3%

See the entire list of Best South Dakota High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Watertown High School - 01

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SD State Percentile
2018	55.74	6^th	17	64.7%
2023	39.61	7^th	10	30.0%
2024	47.66	10^th	19	47.4%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Watertown High School - 01

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SD State Percentile
2018	50.46	27^th	53	49.1%
2019	58.33	13^th	44	70.5%
2021	60.95	10^th	37	73.0%
2022	50.19	13^th	25	48.0%
2023	32.65	37^th	46	19.6%
2024	37.05	30^th	48	37.5%

See the entire list of Best South Dakota High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Watertown High School - 01

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SD State Percentile
2018	64.38	31^st	82	62.2%
2019	78.81	10^th	83	88.0%
2021	64.63	33^rd	89	62.9%
2022	50.26	44^th	84	47.6%
2023	52.10	50^th	95	47.4%
2024	47.65	56^th	93	39.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Watertown High School - 01

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SD State Percentile
2018	71.61	22^nd	90	75.6%
2019	80.58	13^th	88	85.2%
2021	51.52	44^th	89	50.6%
2022	58.49	35^th	87	59.8%
2023	52.00	53^rd	96	44.8%
2024	50.88	55^th	107	48.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Watertown High School - 01

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SD State Percentile
2021	41.05	5^th	9	44.4%
2022	28.45	8^th	11	27.3%
2023	28.24	10^th	15	33.3%
2024	7.36	17^th	17	0.0%

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

Rank History for Native American students at Watertown High School - 01

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	46.72	11^th	19	42.1%
2021	29.78	15^th	17	11.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Watertown High School - 01

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SD State Percentile
2018	65.94	37^th	123	69.9%
2019	77.56	24^th	123	80.5%
2021	57.31	52^nd	129	59.7%
2022	57.73	56^th	123	54.5%
2023	48.15	70^th	121	42.1%
2024	50.13	69^th	125	44.8%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

by a parent
Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Administration talks at you. Does not want to integrate parental solutions to ongoing poor behavior patterns. Simply continues to lower the bar so graduation rate appears decent. Passing with all D's is good enough and proficient is only 75. Uggh! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Watertown High School - 01

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	821	821
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	825	825
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	811	811
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	811	811
1993	799	0	10	0	8	n/a	n/a	0	817
1994	1231	1	9	7	19	n/a	n/a	0	1267
1995	1377	2	11	6	22	n/a	n/a	0	1418
1996	1377	2	11	6	22	n/a	n/a	0	1418
1997	1416	8	11	5	23	n/a	n/a	0	1463
1998	1421	13	8	4	20	n/a	n/a	0	1466
1999	1426	9	9	5	20	n/a	n/a	0	1469
2000	1429	9	8	6	24	n/a	n/a	0	1476
2001	1375	5	10	8	34	n/a	n/a	0	1432
2002	1283	2	11	11	38	n/a	n/a	0	1345
2003	1283	2	11	11	38	n/a	n/a	0	1345
2004	1204	2	11	13	38	n/a	n/a	0	1268
2005	1192	1	11	16	30	n/a	n/a	0	1250
2006	1188	2	15	19	27	n/a	n/a	0	1251
2007	1195	2	6	16	38	n/a	n/a	0	1257
2008	1166	2	12	13	45	n/a	n/a	0	1238
2009	1193	3	17	18	40	n/a	n/a	0	1271
2010	1127	3	15	22	33	n/a	n/a	0	1200
2011	1090	5	10	29	43	2	0	0	1179
2012	1069	10	8	20	33	0	5	0	1145
2013	1067	6	14	27	31	0	6	0	1151
2014	1052	10	9	37	22	0	7	0	1137
2015	1078	6	14	39	36	0	11	0	1184
2016	1092	13	10	49	36	0	9	0	1209
2017	1113	9	9	45	37	0	18	0	1231
2018	1086	8	10	38	45	1	23	0	1211
2019	1087	7	5	37	46	0	25	0	1207
2020	1043	9	7	44	45	0	31	0	1179
2021	1085	12	8	51	50	1	30	0	1237
2022	1090	9	9	54	57	1	39	0	1259
2023	1031	8	10	68	52	0	51	0	1220

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 Watertown High School - 01

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	821	35.9	22.8	n/a
1990	825	39.2	21.0	n/a
1991	811	45.7	17.7	n/a
1992	811	45.7	17.7	n/a
1993	817	59.3	13.8	n/a
1994	1267	68.1	18.6	n/a
1995	1418	74.5	19.0	n/a
1996	1418	74.5	19.0	n/a
1997	1463	77.1	19.0	7.9
1998	1466	73.6	19.9	11.6
1999	1469	75.5	19.5	13.3
2000	1476	74.7	19.8	17.5
2001	1432	74.4	19.2	13.3
2002	1345	73.4	18.3	15.8
2003	1345	73.4	18.3	15.8
2004	1268	71.3	17.8	21.7
2005	1250	73.2	17.1	21.1
2006	1251	75.7	16.5	16.2
2007	1257	74.6	16.8	15.7
2008	1238	76.4	16.2	19.2
2009	1271	73.3	17.3	20.9
2010	1200	74.8	16.0	23.1
2011	1179	69.6	16.9	24.2
2012	1145	70.5	16.2	23.5
2013	1151	69.3	16.5	23.5
2014	1137	68.8	16.5	25.4
2015	1184	72.0	16.4	26.9
2016	1209	64.0	18.8	30.6
2017	1231	66.5	18.5	25.3
2018	1211	75.2	16.0	25.5
2019	1207	73.9	16.3	23.4
2020	1179	73.3	16.0	22.1
2021	1237	70.2	17.6	23.5
2022	1259	71.2	17.6	19.5
2023	1220	73.3	16.6	22.4

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 Watertown High School - 01

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	821	35.9	22.8	n/a
1990	825	39.2	21.0	n/a
1991	811	45.7	17.7	n/a
1992	811	45.7	17.7	n/a
1993	817	59.3	13.8	n/a
1994	1267	68.1	18.6	n/a
1995	1418	74.5	19.0	n/a
1996	1418	74.5	19.0	n/a
1997	1463	77.1	19.0	7.9
1998	1466	73.6	19.9	11.6
1999	1469	75.5	19.5	13.3
2000	1476	74.7	19.8	17.5
2001	1432	74.4	19.2	13.3
2002	1345	73.4	18.3	15.8
2003	1345	73.4	18.3	15.8
2004	1268	71.3	17.8	21.7
2005	1250	73.2	17.1	21.1
2006	1251	75.7	16.5	16.2
2007	1257	74.6	16.8	15.7
2008	1238	76.4	16.2	19.2
2009	1271	73.3	17.3	20.9
2010	1200	74.8	16.0	23.1
2011	1179	69.6	16.9	24.2
2012	1145	70.5	16.2	23.5
2013	1151	69.3	16.5	23.5
2014	1137	68.8	16.5	25.4
2015	1184	72.0	16.4	26.9
2016	1209	64.0	18.8	30.6
2017	1231	66.5	18.5	25.3
2018	1211	75.2	16.0	25.5
2019	1207	73.9	16.3	23.4
2020	1179	73.3	16.0	22.1
2021	1237	70.2	17.6	23.5
2022	1259	71.2	17.6	19.5
2023	1220	73.3	16.6	22.4

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 Watertown High School - 01

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2020	$462 (5.8%)	$7,534 (94.2%)	$7,996
2021	$508 (6.2%)	$7,674 (93.8%)	$8,183
2022	$732 (8.9%)	$7,464 (91.1%)	$8,197
2023	$762 (8.6%)	$8,091 (91.4%)	$8,853

Data source: South Dakota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Watertown High School - 01

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.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 19^th of 135 High schools	Ranks 70^th of 138 High schools	36.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (Watertown High School - 01)	77.8	67.3	10.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Watertown School District 14-4)	77.8	67.3	10.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts (South Dakota)	64.4	65.2	0.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Watertown High School - 01)	54.7	36.4	18.3%
11th Grade Mathematics (Watertown School District 14-4)	54.7	36.4	18.3%
11th Grade Mathematics (South Dakota)	41.2	37.8	3.4%
11th Grade Science (Watertown High School - 01)	46.6	51.8	5.2%
11th Grade Science (Watertown School District 14-4)	46.6	51.8	5.2%
11th Grade Science (South Dakota)	36.4	51.8	15.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1207	1220	1.1%
African American	7	8	14.3%
American Indian	46	52	13%
Asian	5	10	100%
Hispanic	37	68	83.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	1087	1031	5.2%
Two or More Races	25	51	104%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	23.4%	22.4%	1%

Schools Near Watertown High School - 01

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 Mathematics All Grades	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
Watertown High School - 01	Public	9-12	200 NE 9th St	Watertown	57201	Codington County	Watertown School District 14-4	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 882-6316	1,220	73	16.6	22.4%	1,031 (84.5%)	8 (0.7%)	68 (5.6%)	10 (0.8%)	52 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (4.2%)	50.2	75^th of 141 public high schools	46.8%		54.7	70^th of 138 public high schools	49.3%	5	66.3	66.1	32.3	32.2	46.5	46.1	$8,853	$762	$8,091
Waverly-South Shore High School - 01	Public	9-12	319 Mary Pl	Waverly	57201	Codington County	Waverly School District 14-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 886-9174	92	7	13.8	18.5%	81 (88.0%)	1 (1.1%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.3%)	1 (1.1%)	4 (4.3%)	14.3	121^st of 141 public high schools	14.2%		20.4	116^th of 138 public high schools	15.9%	5	26.1		13.0		39.1		$11,223	$00	$11,223
Castlewood High School - 01	Public	9-12	310 E Harry St	Castlewood	57223	Hamlin County	Castlewood School District 28-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 793-2497	91	7	12.9	9.9%	84 (92.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	82	19^th of 141 public high schools	86.5%		75.1	25^th of 138 public high schools	81.9%	6	87.0		43.5		65.2		$10,138	$42	$10,097
Florence High School - 01	Public	9-12	515 Main Ave	Florence	57235	Codington County	Florence School District 14-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 758-2412	85	7	12.0	18.8%	81 (95.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.4%)	36.6	92^nd of 141 public high schools	34.8%		30	102^nd of 138 public high schools	26.1%	10	54.6		27.3		45.5		$11,059	$00	$11,059
Henry High School - 01	Public	9-12	111 N Cedar	Henry	57243	Codington County	Henry School District 14-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 532-5364	57	5	11.7	35.1%	54 (94.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.8%)	1 (1.8%)	1 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6.7	131^st of 141 public high schools	7.1%		49.8	76^th of 138 public high schools	44.9%	55	42.1		10.5		10.5		$11,446	$32	$11,414
Hamlin High School - 01	Public	9-12	44577 188th St	Hayti	57241	Hamlin County	Hamlin School District 28-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 783-3644	233	17	13.6	23.2%	215 (92.3%)	1 (0.4%)	11 (4.7%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	61.1	53^rd of 141 public high schools	62.4%		55.4	68^th of 138 public high schools	50.7%	15	66.0		32.1		62.3		$10,998	$182	$10,816

Watertown High School - 01

Watertown High School - 01:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Watertown School District 14-4:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Watertown High School - 01

Rank History for all students at Watertown High School - 01

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Watertown High School - 01

Rank History for Special Education students at Watertown High School - 01

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Watertown High School - 01

Rank History for Female students at Watertown High School - 01

Rank History for Male students at Watertown High School - 01

Rank History for Hispanic students at Watertown High School - 01

Rank History for Native American students at Watertown High School - 01

Rank History for White students at Watertown High School - 01

Review counts

Enrollment information for Watertown High School - 01

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Watertown High School - 01

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