C+

Pipestone Area School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 19 towns

Serves Pipestone, Jasper, Sweet, Holland, Elmer, Troy, Springwater, Gray, Woodstock, Burke, Rock, Grange, Eden, Fountain Prairie, Rose Dell, Ihlen, Altona, Trosky and Hatfield, and parts of Chanarambie, Denver and Cameron.

Students

1,138

Schools

Spent per student

$15,364

MN $17,091

Students per teacher

13:1

Free or reduced lunch

45%

Debt

$0.5M

fiscal 2024

The gist

What stands out about Pipestone Area School District

School Grade C+: better than 42% of South Dakota districts
Math proficiency 8 pts below the state
Reading / language arts 11 pts below the state
Spends 10% less per student than the MN average
13 students per teacher
Enrollment up 27.2% since 2020
Debt of $0.5M, about $442 per student

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Bancroft.

PK–5Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02De Smet School District 38-2

6–8De Smet Middle School - 03De Smet School District 38-2

9–12De Smet High School - 01De Smet School District 38-2

Test scores vs. MN

2020–21

Math proficiency36%

State average 44.2%

Reading / language arts42%

State average 52.5%

Graduation rate (4-year)87%

State average 84.4%

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024

$15,364 per student · 10% below MN

Spending

Classroom instruction 62%Support & administration 32%Other 6%

Paid for by

Local (mostly property tax) 18%State 73%Federal 9%

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time

895’20

1,096’21

1,105’22

1,087’23

1,138’24

Up 27.2% since 2020.

Students

White 65%Hispanic 25%Two or more races 5%Black 2%American Indian/Alaska Native 2%Asian <1%

Schools in the district

4 public schools.

Pipestone Elementary

Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Pipestone

B+

580 students13:1

Heartland Elementary

Elementary · Grades K–8 · Lake Benton

12 students5:1

Pipestone Middle

Middle · Grades 6–8 · Pipestone

244 students14:1

Pipestone Senior High

High · Grades 9–12 · Pipestone

C−

302 students13:1

Towns served

Pipestone 4,129Jasper 818Sweet 385Holland 292Elmer 266Troy 245Springwater 239Gray 208Woodstock 200Burke 181Rock 168Grange 149Eden 138Fountain Prairie 131Rose Dell 104Ihlen 91 Altona 87 Trosky 51 Hatfield 46

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Flandreau School District 50-3Alliance, Lone Rock, Union

$13,234per student

Edgerton Public School DistrictBattle Plain, Moulton, Osborne

$15,833per student

Luverne Public School DistrictBattle Plain, Hardwick, Mound

$15,771per student

Murray County Central School DistrictLake Wilson, Leeds, Lowville

$15,459per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES directory and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: EDFacts via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Neighbor ratings are opinions.