Smee School District 15-3

12250 Sd Hwy 1806
Wakpala, SD 57658
(District boundaries shown in map)
1/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Smee School District 15-3 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in South Dakota for:

Category
Attribute
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2025-26 school year, there are 2 public elementary schools serving 119 students in Smee School District 15-3. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public elementary schools in South Dakota.
Public Elementary Schools in Smee School District 15-3 have an average math proficiency score of 10% (versus the South Dakota public elementary school average of 43%), and reading proficiency score of 40% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 100% of the student body (majority American Indian), which is more than the South Dakota public elementary school average of 36% (majority American Indian).

Overview

This School District
This State (SD)
# Schools
3 Schools
495 Schools
# Students
183 Students
100,764 Students
# Teachers
21 Teachers
7,485 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
9:1
9:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Smee School District 15-3, 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 40-59% has decreased from 50% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (SD)
#138 out of 148 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
(21-22)
10-14%
42%
35-39%
51%
≤10%
42%
(21-22)
40-59%
82%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.09
0.55
% American Indian
96%
17%
% Asian
n/a
2%
% Hispanic
1%
8%
% Black
n/a
3%
% White
n/a
64%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $27,027 is higher than the state median of $13,146. The school district revenue/student has grown by 6% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $25,344 is higher than the state median of $12,647. The school district spending/student has grown by 6% over four school years.
This School District
This State (SD)
Total Revenue
$5 MM
$1,916 MM
Spending
$5 MM
$1,844 MM
Revenue / Student
$27,027
$13,146
Spending / Student
$25,344
$12,647

Best Smee School District 15-3 Public Elementary Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Wakpala Elementary - 02
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: 40-49%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
12250 Sd Hwy 1806
Wakpala, SD 57658
(605) 845-3040
Gr: K-5 | 84 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
Rank: #22.
Wakpala Middle School - 04
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: 30-39%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
12250 Sd Hwy 1806
Wakpala, SD 57658
(605) 845-3040
Gr: 6-8 | 35 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 3 schools
  • Grades: K-12
  • Enrollment: 183 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 9:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 100%
  • : 40-59% (Top 50% in SD)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 10-14% (Btm 50%)
  • : 35-39% (Btm 50%)
  • : ≤10% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), SD Dept. of Education

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