A
Lake Benton Public School District
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 5 towns
Serves Lake Benton, Diamond Lake, Lake Benton, Verdi and Drammen, and parts of Shaokatan, Ash Lake and Fountain Prairie.
Students
102
Schools
2
Spent per student
$25,770
MN $17,091
Students per teacher
9:1
Free or reduced lunch
36%
Debt
$2.1M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Lake Benton Public School District
- School Grade A: better than 93% of South Dakota districts
- Math proficiency 13 pts above the state
- Reading / language arts 10 pts above the state
- Spends 51% more per student than the MN average
- 9 students per teacher
- Enrollment down 26.1% since 2020
- Debt of $2.1M, about $20,098 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Hetland.
PK–5Lake Preston Elementary - 02Lake Preston School District 38-3
6–8Lake Preston Middle School - 03Lake Preston School District 38-3
9–12Lake Preston High School - 01Lake Preston School District 38-3
Test scores vs. MN
2020–21Math proficiency57%
State average 44.2%
Reading / language arts62%
State average 52.5%
Graduation rate 90% at Lake Preston School District 38-3, which runs the high school (state 84.5%) · class of 2020.
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$25,770 per student · 51% above MN
Spending
Classroom instruction 60%Support & administration 35%Other 5%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 30%State 66%Federal 4%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
138’20
120’21
117’22
113’23
102’24
Down 26.1% since 2020.
Students
White 93%Hispanic 7%
Schools in the district
2 public schools.
Towns served
Nearby districts
Compare spending and schools next door.
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.