B−

Lac Qui Parle Valley School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 36 towns

Serves Madison, Appleton, Milan, Appleton Township, Big Bend Township, Madison Township, Akron Township, Lac qui Parle Township, Cerro Gordo Township, Marietta, Tunsberg Township, Hamlin Township, Fairfield Township, Arena Township, Lake Shore Township, Edison Township, Kragero Township, Walter Township, Mandt Township, Freeland Township, Garfield Township, Augusta Township, Providence Township, Hantho Township, West Bank Township, Moyer Township, Shible Township, Perry Township, Marysland Township, Artichoke Township, Holloway, Mehurin Township, Manfred Township, Nassau, Hegbert Township and Correll, and parts of Rosewood Township, Watson and Tara Township.

Students

890

Schools

Spent per student

$15,487

MN $17,091

Students per teacher

14:1

Free or reduced lunch

48%

Debt

$54.8M

fiscal 2024

The gist

What stands out about Lac Qui Parle Valley School District

School Grade B−: better than 49% of South Dakota districts
Reading / language arts 9 pts below the state
Graduation rate (4-year) 11 pts above the state
Spends 9% less per student than the MN average
14 students per teacher
Enrollment up 14% since 2020
Debt of $54.8M, about $61,521 per student

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Fedora.

PK–82 schoolsHoward School District 48-3

9–12Howard High School - 01Howard School District 48-3

Test scores vs. MN

2020–21

Math proficiency44%

State average 44.2%

Reading / language arts44%

State average 52.5%

Graduation rate (4-year)95%

State average 84.4% · small group: the state reports 90–100%

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024

$15,487 per student · 9% below MN

Spending

Classroom instruction 61%Support & administration 32%Other 7%

Paid for by

Local (mostly property tax) 24%State 65%Federal 10%

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

Enrollment over time

781’20

811’21

805’22

834’23

890’24

Up 14% since 2020.

Students

White 66%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 21%Hispanic 10%Two or more races 3%Black <1%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%

Schools in the district

4 public schools.

Appleton-Milan Elementary

Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Appleton

C−

230 students13:1

Madison-Marietta-Nassau Elementary

Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Madison

A−

151 students12:1

Lac Qui Parle Valley Middle School

Middle · Grades 5–6 · Madison

129 students14:1

Lac Qui Parle Valley Secondary

High · Grades 7–12 · Madison

C+

380 students17:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Benson Public School DistrictClontarf Township, Danvers, Grace Township

$15,871per student

Montevideo Public School DistrictCamp Release Township, Grace Township, Havelock Township

$14,971per student

Ortonville Public SchoolsAgassiz Township, Odessa Township, Otrey Township

$16,161per student

Dawson-Boyd Public School DistrictBaxter Township, Maxwell Township, Riverside Township

$15,216per 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.