Best Public Schools in Rapid City, SD

The Rapid City Area School District 51-4 in South Dakota includes 25 schools, comprising 14 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 4 high schools, and 2 alternative schools. The district as a whole is underperforming compared to the state averages, with lower test scores and graduation rates. However, there are significant disparities in performance between the top-performing and lower-performing schools within the district.

Stevens High School - 42 stands out with the highest graduation rate (84.2%) and the lowest dropout rate (2.4%) among the high schools, as well as strong test scores. Southwest Middle School - 38 is the top-performing middle school, ranking 6th out of 147 in the state with 68.67% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 63.43% in Mathematics. At the elementary level, Corral Drive Elementary - 21 and Pinedale Elementary - 11 stand out with the highest test scores, ranking 26th and 30th out of 201 elementary schools in the state, respectively.

The wide range in spending per student, from $6,299 at Rapid City Online High School - 92 to $68,890 at Jefferson Building - 64, raises questions about the equity and efficiency of the Rapid City Area School District 51-4's resource allocation. Additionally, the high rates of chronic absenteeism at some schools, such as North Middle School - 35 (52.3%) and General Beadle Elementary - 01 (40.2%), suggest that addressing attendance and engagement issues could be a key priority for the district.