Pierre School District enrollment this fall is up about 120 students from last year.
Business manager Darla Mayer says the district has nearly 2800 (2790) students registered this fall.
Mayer says last year’s lower number was expected because of the smallest senior class in recent history and the transition in state government.
She says currently 86% of the Pierre School District’s general fund revenue comes from the State Aid Formula.
When combining money spent on education from the general, capital outlay, special education and pension funds, Mayer says Pierre has the fifth lowest expenditure per student in the state (144 of 149 or $7,727).
Mayer says the Pierre School District receives a low amount of property tax dollars because so much property in the district is owned by the state government, so it’s tax exempt.
The Sioux Valley School District spends the lowest amount in the state per student at $6,827. Again, the Elk Mountain District in Custer County spends the most averaging $26,962 per student. The statewide average spent per district, per student is $9,369.
Looking at ACT Composite Scores, Pierre does a lot with the limited amount of money is has. Pierre’s 2019 average score was just shy of 23. The state average is just over 21.5 while the national average is around 20.75.
