Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 5 schools in district

Vandenberg Elementary - 02

561 Briggs St, Box Elder, SD 57719Douglas School District 51-1 →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 04–05Non-Charter
441
Students
Total enrolled
$12,797
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 11% vs nat'l
15.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
~avg
49/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
~avg
⇄ Compare with another school
Mid-sized public school
Serves 441 students in grades 04–05 in Box Elder, South Dakota.
11% below average funding
District spends $12,797 per pupil, 11% less than the national average of $14,347.
Near-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 49th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Vandenberg Elementary - 02 is a mid-sized elementary in Box Elder, South Dakota, serving grades 04–05 with 441 students. The district invests $12,797 per student — 11% below the national average of $14,347, with a 15.0:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 29% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at Vandenberg Elementary - 02

441
Total Students
15.0 : 1
Student:Teacher
29%
Free Lunch
29
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (04–05) are served by this school
Gender Distribution220 male · 221 female
50%
50%
Male 50%Female 50%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility29%
National avg 52% · 127 students
Student Composition
66%
13%
11%
Asian1%
White66%
Hispanic / Latino13%
Black2%
Multiracial11%
Native American7%
Pacific Islander1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 461941000436

Academic Outcomes at Vandenberg Elementary - 02

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
49
/ 100
Near-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 49th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 74th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 57719

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$12,797Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$12,797
State avg
$16,272
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,631
Student Support$2,431
Administration$1,536
Operations$1,920
Other$1,280
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $12,797 spent per student, an estimated $5,669 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
47%
21%
State government
47.1%
Local (property tax)
21.1%
Federal programs
31.8%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Patriot Elementary -06
↓
Middle
Douglas Middle School - 01
↓
High School
Douglas High School - 03
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
Grades04 – 05
Location—
CountyPennington County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictDouglas School District 51-1 →
Phone: (605)923-0060
NCES ID: 461941000436
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Box Elder seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Douglas School District 51-1
Elem
Patriot Elementary -06
890 students · KG–03
● 49 opp31% FRL
High
Douglas High School - 03
749 students · 09–12
● 49 opp22% FRL
Mid
Douglas Middle School - 01
670 students · 06–08
● 49 opp29% FRL
Other
Douglas Preschool - 08
0 students · PK–PK
● 49 opp
District School Rankings
Location
561 Briggs St, Box Elder, SD 57719
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.