Douglas School District 51-1

400 Patriot Dr
Box Elder, SD 57719
(District boundaries shown in map)
4/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Douglas School District 51-1 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in South Dakota for:

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 3 public elementary schools serving 2,001 students in Douglas School District 51-1. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public elementary schools in South Dakota.
Public Elementary Schools in Douglas School District 51-1 have an average math proficiency score of 39% (versus the South Dakota public elementary school average of 43%), and reading proficiency score of 50% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 36% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is equal to the South Dakota public elementary school average of 36% (majority American Indian).

Overview

This School District
This State (SD)
# Schools
5 Schools
497 Schools
# Students
2,753 Students
101,009 Students
# Teachers
177 Teachers
7,507 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Douglas School District 51-1, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 146 school districts in South Dakota (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 80-84% has decreased from 90-94% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (SD)
#94 out of 148 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
39%
42%
51%
51%
41%
42%
80-84%
82%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.53
0.55
% American Indian
8%
17%
% Asian
1%
2%
% Hispanic
11%
8%
% Black
2%
3%
% White
66%
64%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
12%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $12,308 in this school district is less than the state median of $13,121. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $10,736 is less than the state median of $12,623. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (SD)
Total Revenue
$34 MM
$1,916 MM
Spending
$30 MM
$1,844 MM
Revenue / Student
$12,308
$13,121
Spending / Student
$10,736
$12,623

Best Douglas School District 51-1 Public Elementary Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Patriot Elementary -06
(Math: 53% | Reading: 57%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
421 Don Williams Dr
Box Elder, SD 57719
(605) 923-0080
Grades: K-3
| 936 students
Rank: #22.
Vandenberg Elementary - 02
(Math: 42% | Reading: 50%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
561 Briggs St
Box Elder, SD 57719
(605) 923-0060
Grades: 4-5
| 442 students
Rank: #33.
Douglas Middle School - 01
(Math: 32% | Reading: 48%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
691 Tower Rd
Box Elder, SD 57719
(605) 923-0050
Grades: 6-8
| 623 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 5 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 2,753 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 16:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 34%
  • : 80-84% (Top 30% in SD)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 39% (Btm 50%)
  • : 51% (Btm 50%)
  • : 41% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), SD Dept. of Education

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