B
Northwestern Area School District 56-7
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 23 towns
Serves Ashton, Mellette, Northville, Conde, Northville, Cresbard, Jefferson, Union, La Prairie, Brentford, Mellette, Chelsea, Devoe, Clifton, Fairview, Beotia, Wesley, Athol, Tetonka, Emerson, Benton, Olean and Pioneer, and parts of Warner, East Rondell, Three Rivers, Clear Lake, Conde, Garden Prairie, New Hope, Myron and Groveland.
Students
387
Schools
6
Spent per student
$13,471
SD $13,040
Students per teacher
15:1
Free or reduced lunch
14%
Debt
$7.7M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Northwestern Area School District 56-7
- School Grade B: better than 60% of South Dakota districts
- Graduation rate (4-year) 16 pts below the state
- 15 students per teacher
- Enrollment up 15.2% since 2022
- Debt of $7.7M, about $20,016 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. SD
2020–21Math proficiency47%
State average 42.2%
Graduation rate (4-year)69%
State average 84.5% · small group: the state reports 60–79%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$13,471 per student · 3% above SD
Spending
Classroom instruction 54%Support & administration 40%Other 6%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 61%State 27%Federal 12%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
336’22
359’23
387’24
Up 15.2% since 2022.
Students
White 89%Two or more races 4%Hispanic 4%American Indian/Alaska Native 2%Black <1%Asian <1%
Schools in the district
6 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.