Harding County School District 31-1

12474 Tipperary St
Buffalo, SD 57720
(District boundaries shown in map)
9/
10
Top 20%

Top Rankings

Harding County School District 31-1 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in South Dakota for:

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 10%)
For the 2025 school year, there is 1 public middle school serving 58 students in Harding County School District 31-1. This district's average middle testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 10% of public middle schools in South Dakota.
Public Middle School in Harding County School District 31-1 have an average math proficiency score of 55% (versus the South Dakota public middle school average of 39%), and reading proficiency score of 65% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 0% of the student body (majority Black and Hispanic), which is less than the South Dakota public middle school average of 42% (majority American Indian).

Overview

This School District
This State (SD)
# Schools
3 Schools
297 Schools
# Students
221 Students
40,141 Students
# Teachers
21 Teachers
2,999 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
11:1
11:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Harding County School District 31-1, which is ranked within the top 30% 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 50% has decreased from 80% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (SD)
#27 out of 148 school districts
(Top 20%)
50-54%
42%
60-64%
51%
50-59%
42%
≥50%
82%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.05
0.59
% American Indian
n/a
26%
% Asian
n/a
1%
% Hispanic
1%
7%
% Black
n/a
3%
% White
97%
58%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
2%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $21,719 is higher than the state median of $13,121. The school district revenue/student has declined by 12% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $17,991 is higher than the state median of $12,623. The school district spending/student has declined by 12% over four school years.
This School District
This State (SD)
Total Revenue
$5 MM
$1,916 MM
Spending
$4 MM
$1,844 MM
Revenue / Student
$21,719
$13,121
Spending / Student
$17,991
$12,623

Best Harding County School District 31-1 Public Middle Schools (2025)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Harding County Middle School - 03
(Math: 50-59% | Reading: 60-69%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
12474 Tipperary St
Buffalo, SD 57720
(605) 375-3241
Grades: 6-8
| 58 students

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 3 schools
  • Grades: KG-12
  • Enrollment: 221 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 11:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 3%
  • : ≥50% (Btm 50% in SD)
  • : Top 20%
  • : 50-54% (Top 30%)
  • : 60-64% (Top 20%)
  • : 50-59% (Top 10%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), SD Dept. of Education

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