Top Rankings
Watertown School District 14-4 ranks among the top 20% of public school district in South Dakota for:
Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 6 public elementary schools serving 1,733 students in Watertown School District 14-4. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 8/10, which is in the top 30% of public elementary schools in South Dakota.
Public Elementary Schools in Watertown School District 14-4 have an average math proficiency score of 57% (versus the South Dakota public elementary school average of 43%), and reading proficiency score of 55% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 19% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the South Dakota public elementary school average of 36% (majority American Indian).
Overview
This School District
This State (SD)
# Schools
8 Schools
497 Schools
# Students
3,542 Students
101,009 Students
# Teachers
234 Teachers
7,507 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Watertown School District 14-4, 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 90% has increased from 86% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#46 out of 148 school districts
(Top 50%)
(Top 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
51%
42%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
59%
51%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
49%
42%
Graduation Rate
90%
82%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.32
0.55
% American Indian
4%
17%
% Asian
1%
2%
% Hispanic
7%
8%
% Black
n/a
3%
% White
82%
64%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
6%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $12,794 in this school district is less than the state median of $13,121. The school district revenue/student has grown by 11% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $13,363 is higher than the state median of $12,623. The school district spending/student has grown by 11% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$45 MM
$1,916 MM
Spending
$47 MM
$1,844 MM
Revenue / Student
$12,794
$13,121
Spending / Student
$13,363
$12,623
Best Watertown School District 14-4 Public Elementary Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Lincoln Elementary - 05
(Math: 80-84% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 5%10
1100 13th St Ne
Watertown, SD 57201
(605) 882-6340
Watertown, SD 57201
(605) 882-6340
Grades: PK-4
| 338 students
Rank: #22.
Mckinley Elementary - 06
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
5 12th St Sw
Watertown, SD 57201
(605) 882-6350
Watertown, SD 57201
(605) 882-6350
Grades: PK-4
| 255 students
Rank: #33.
Mellette Elementary - 07
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
619 2nd St Nw
Watertown, SD 57201
(605) 882-6385
Watertown, SD 57201
(605) 882-6385
Grades: PK-4
| 235 students
Rank: #44.
Jefferson Elementary - 09
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 45-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
1701 N Maple St
Watertown, SD 57201
(605) 882-6390
Watertown, SD 57201
(605) 882-6390
Grades: PK-4
| 332 students
Rank: #55.
Watertown Intermediate School - 13
(Math: 47% | Reading: 54%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
601 11th St Ne
Watertown, SD 57201
(605) 882-6355
Watertown, SD 57201
(605) 882-6355
Grades: 5-6
| 556 students
Rank: n/an/a
45425 152nd St
Summit, SD 57266
(605) 882-6340
Summit, SD 57266
(605) 882-6340
Grades: K-8
| 17 students
Recent Articles

Texas Schools: The Voucher/School Choice Debate
The issue of school choice and a voucher system is currently being revisited in Houston and across the state of Texas, with strong opinions on both sides of the debate.

Fuel Up to Play 60 Focuses on Integrating Fitness and Wellness into the School Day
What if NFL players came to your school? With the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, sponsored by the National Dairy Council and the NFL, nutrition and exercise are promoted during the school day. NFL players participate in the program by coming to schools and talking to students about fitness. Learn more about the program and some of the schools that are implementing it.

What Parents Need to Know About Lunch Shaming
Students all over the nation go hungry every day not because their schools don’t offer lunch, but because they refuse them to children with outstanding debts. Read on to learn about the horror that is lunch shaming and what can be done about it.