Tri-Valley School District 49-6

46450 252nd St
Colton, SD 57018
(District boundaries shown in map)
5/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Tri-Valley School District 49-6 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in South Dakota for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 5%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there is 1 public middle school serving 296 students in Tri-Valley School District 49-6. This district's average middle testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in South Dakota.
Public Middle School in Tri-Valley School District 49-6 have an average math proficiency score of 35% (versus the South Dakota public middle school average of 39%), and reading proficiency score of 50% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 20% 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
4 Schools
294 Schools
# Students
952 Students
39,775 Students
# Teachers
69 Teachers
2,945 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Tri-Valley School District 49-6, 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 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 92% has increased from 85-89% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (SD)
#78 out of 148 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
41%
42%
52%
51%
43%
42%
92%
82%
(2022-23)
6.3%
22.5%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.31
0.60
% American Indian
1%
26%
% Asian
n/a
1%
% Hispanic
6%
7%
% Black
7%
3%
% White
83%
58%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $13,082 is higher than the state median of $13,053. The school district revenue/student has grown by 14% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $12,879 is higher than the state median of $12,557. The school district spending/student has grown by 26% over four school years.
This School District
This State (SD)
Total Revenue
$13 MM
$1,916 MM
Spending
$12 MM
$1,844 MM
Revenue / Student
$13,082
$13,053
Spending / Student
$12,879
$12,557

Best Tri-Valley School District 49-6 Public Middle Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Tri-valley Intermediate School - 03
(Math: 35% | Reading: 50%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
46450 252nd St
Colton, SD 57018
(605) 446-3538
Gr: 5-8 | 296 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 20%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 4 schools
  • Grades: K-12
  • Enrollment: 952 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 17%
  • : 92% (Top 5% in SD)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 41% (Btm 50%)
  • : 52% (Top 50%)
  • : 43% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), SD Dept. of Education

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