A+
Pender Public Schools
Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 8 towns
Serves Pender Township, Pender, Flournoy Township, Cleveland Township, Grant Township, Thurston, Thayer Township and Bryan Township, and parts of Beemer Township, Bancroft Township, Perry Township and Merry Township.
Students
433
Schools
2
Spent per student
$17,293
NE $15,602
Students per teacher
12:1
Free or reduced lunch
43%
Debt
$1.4M
fiscal 2024
What stands out about Pender Public Schools
- School Grade A+: better than 100% of South Dakota districts
- Math proficiency 28 pts above the state
- Reading / language arts 22 pts above the state
- Spends 11% more per student than the NE average
- 12 students per teacher
- Enrollment up 6.7% since 2020
- Debt of $1.4M, about $3,157 per student
Where would my kid go?
The school path for Nunda.
K–83 schoolsOldham-Ramona-Rutland 39-6 school district
9–122 high schoolsOldham-Ramona-Rutland 39-6 school district
Test scores vs. NE
2020–21Math proficiency74%
State average 46.1%
Reading / language arts70%
State average 48.2%
Graduation rate (4-year)90%
State average 86% · small group: the state reports 80–100%
Where the money goes
fiscal 2024$17,293 per student · 11% above NE
Spending
Classroom instruction 60%Support & administration 34%Other 6%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 64%State 27%Federal 8%
U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.
Enrollment over time
406’20
417’21
443’22
423’23
433’24
Up 6.7% since 2020.
Students
White 84%Hispanic 10%Two or more races 3%American Indian/Alaska Native 2%Asian <1%Black <1%
Schools in the district
2 public schools.
Towns served
Nearby districts
Compare spending and schools next door.
West Point Public SchoolsElkhorn Township, Logan Township, Neligh Township
$17,504per student
Bancroft-Rosalie Community SchoolsDawes Township, Everett Township, Neligh Township
$18,527per student
Wisner-Pilger Public SchoolsBlaine Township, Wisner, Wisner Township
$19,179per student
Walthill Public SchoolsOmaha Township
$25,000per 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.