Lake Preston School District 38-3

300 1st St Ne
Lake Preston, SD 57249
(District boundaries shown in map)
9/
10
Top 20%

Top Rankings

Lake Preston School District 38-3 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in South Dakota for:

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 20%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 10%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 5%)
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there is 1 public middle school serving 33 students in Lake Preston School District 38-3. This district's average middle testing ranking is 4/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in South Dakota.
Public Middle School in Lake Preston School District 38-3 have an average math proficiency score of 35% (versus the South Dakota public middle school average of 39%), and reading proficiency score of 44% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 12% of the student body (majority 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
294 Schools
# Students
170 Students
39,775 Students
# Teachers
22 Teachers
2,945 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
8:1
8:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Lake Preston School District 38-3, which is ranked within the top 20% of all 146 school districts in South Dakota (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 80% has increased from 50% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (SD)
#16 out of 148 school districts
(Top 20%)
55%
42%
65-69%
51%
60-69%
42%
(21-22)
≥80%
82%
(2022-23)
12.2%
22.5%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.16
0.60
% American Indian
1%
26%
% Asian
n/a
1%
% Hispanic
2%
7%
% Black
n/a
3%
% White
92%
58%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
5%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $21,371 is higher than the state median of $13,053. The school district revenue/student has grown by 16% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $18,200 is higher than the state median of $12,557. The school district spending/student has grown by 15% over four school years.
This School District
This State (SD)
Total Revenue
$4 MM
$1,916 MM
Spending
$3 MM
$1,844 MM
Revenue / Student
$21,371
$13,053
Spending / Student
$18,200
$12,557

Best Lake Preston School District 38-3 Public Middle Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Lake Preston Middle School - 03
(Math: 30-39% | Reading: 40-49%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
300 1st St Ne
Lake Preston, SD 57249
(605) 847-4455
Gr: 6-8 | 33 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Minority enrollment: 12%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 3 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 170 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 8:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 8%
  • : ≥80% (Btm 50% in SD)
  • : Top 20%
  • : 55% (Top 20%)
  • : 65-69% (Top 10%)
  • : 60-69% (Top 5%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), SD Dept. of Education

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