Timber Lake School District 20-3

500 Main St
Timber Lake, SD 57656
(District boundaries shown in map)
10/
10
Top 10%

Top Rankings

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

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 10%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 10%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 10%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2025-26 school year, there are 2 public elementary schools serving 279 students in Timber Lake School District 20-3. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 5% of public elementary schools in South Dakota.
Public Elementary Schools in Timber Lake School District 20-3 have an average math proficiency score of 67% (versus the South Dakota public elementary school average of 43%), and reading proficiency score of 65% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 60% 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
389 Students
100,764 Students
# Teachers
39 Teachers
7,485 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
10:1
10:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Timber Lake School District 20-3, which is ranked within the top 5% 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)
#8 out of 148 school districts
(Top 10%)
67%
42%
65-69%
51%
45-49%
42%
(21-22)
≥80%
82%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.53
0.55
% American Indian
54%
17%
% Asian
n/a
2%
% Hispanic
2%
8%
% Black
n/a
3%
% White
43%
64%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
1%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $13,671 is higher than the state median of $13,146. The school district revenue/student has declined by 8% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $15,599 is higher than the state median of $12,647. The school district spending/student has declined by 8% over four school years.
This School District
This State (SD)
Total Revenue
$5 MM
$1,916 MM
Spending
$6 MM
$1,844 MM
Revenue / Student
$13,671
$13,146
Spending / Student
$15,599
$12,647

Best Timber Lake School District 20-3 Public Elementary Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Timber Lake Elementary - 02
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
500 Main St
Timber Lake, SD 57656
(605) 865-3654
Gr: PK-5 | 198 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 63%
Rank: #22.
Timber Lake Middle School - 03
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 65-69%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
500 Main St
Timber Lake, SD 57656
(605) 865-3654
Gr: 6-8 | 81 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Minority enrollment: 53%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 3 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 389 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 10:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 57%
  • : ≥80% (Btm 50% in SD)
  • : Top 10%
  • : 67% (Top 10%)
  • : 65-69% (Top 10%)
  • : 45-49% (Top 30%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), SD Dept. of Education

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