Willow Lake School District 12-3

400 Garfield Ave
Willow Lake, SD 57278
(District boundaries shown in map)
3/
10
Bottom 50%
For the 2026 school year, there is 1 public high school serving 69 students in Willow Lake School District 12-3. This district's average high testing ranking is 8/10, which is in the top 30% of public high schools in South Dakota.
Public High School in Willow Lake School District 12-3 have an average math proficiency score of 50% (versus the South Dakota public high school average of 40%), and reading proficiency score of 50% (versus the 63% statewide average).
Public High School in Willow Lake School District 12-3 have a Graduation Rate of 50%, which is less than the South Dakota average of 82%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Willow Lake High School - 01, with ≥50% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in South Dakota or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 4% of the student body (majority American Indian), which is less than the South Dakota public high school average of 36% (majority American Indian).

Overview

This School District
This State (SD)
# Schools
6 Schools
216 Schools
# Students
344 Students
47,253 Students
# Teachers
24 Teachers
3,334 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
14:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Willow Lake School District 12-3, 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 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)
#105 out of 148 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
41%
42%
40-44%
51%
20-24%
42%
(21-22)
≥80%
82%
(2022-23)
9.6%
22.5%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.05
0.55
% American Indian
1%
19%
% Asian
n/a
1%
% Hispanic
2%
8%
% Black
n/a
3%
% White
97%
64%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
n/a
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $11,297 in this school district is less than the state median of $13,053. The school district revenue/student has declined by 5% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $10,471 is less than the state median of $12,557. The school district spending/student has declined by 10% over four school years.
This School District
This State (SD)
Total Revenue
$4 MM
$1,916 MM
Spending
$4 MM
$1,844 MM
Revenue / Student
$11,297
$13,053
Spending / Student
$10,471
$12,557

Best Willow Lake School District 12-3 Public High Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Willow Lake High School - 01
(Math: <50% | Reading: ≥50%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
400 Garfield Ave
Willow Lake, SD 57278
(605) 625-5945
Gr: 9-12 | 69 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 4%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 6 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 344 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 3%
  • : ≥80% (Top 50% in SD)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 41% (Btm 50%)
  • : 40-44% (Btm 50%)
  • : 20-24% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), SD Dept. of Education

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