Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 5 schools in district

Kennedy Elementary - 08

2306 Brookstone Loop, Pierre, SD 57501Pierre School District 32-2 →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades KG–05Non-Charter
388
Students
Total enrolled
$11,329
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 21% vs nat'l
14.9 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
~avg
46/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
~avg
⇄ Compare with another school
Mid-sized public school
Serves 388 students in grades KG–05 in Pierre, South Dakota.
21% below average funding
District spends $11,329 per pupil, 21% less than the national average of $14,347.
Near-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 46th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Kennedy Elementary - 08 is a mid-sized elementary in Pierre, South Dakota, serving grades KG–05 with 388 students. The district invests $11,329 per student — 21% below the national average of $14,347, with a 14.9:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 33% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at Kennedy Elementary - 08

388
Total Students
14.9 : 1
Student:Teacher
33%
Free Lunch
26
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
Highlighted grades (KG–05) are served by this school
Gender Distribution220 male · 168 female
57%
43%
Male 57%Female 43%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility33%
National avg 52% · 129 students
Student Composition
62%
14%
19%
Asian1%
White62%
Hispanic / Latino4%
Multiracial14%
Native American19%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 465526001353

Academic Outcomes at Kennedy Elementary - 08

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
46
/ 100
Near-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 46th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 63th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 57501

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$11,329Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$11,329
State avg
$16,272
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$4,985
Student Support$2,152
Administration$1,359
Operations$1,699
Other$1,133
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $11,329 spent per student, an estimated $5,019 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
41%
43%
State government
40.7%
Local (property tax)
43.0%
Federal programs
16.3%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-average funding — $11,329/student, 21% less than the national average
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Jefferson Elementary - 06Buchanan Elementary - 03
↓
Middle
Georgia Morse Middle School - 02
↓
High School
T F Riggs High School - 01
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
GradesKG – 05
Location—
CountyHughes County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictPierre School District 32-2 →
Phone: (605)773-7370
NCES ID: 465526001353
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Pierre 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 Pierre School District 32-2
High
T F Riggs High School - 01
842 students · 09–12
● 46 opp17% FRL
Mid
Georgia Morse Middle School - 02
684 students · 06–08
● 46 opp26% FRL
Elem
Jefferson Elementary - 06
430 students · KG–05
● 46 opp34% FRL
Elem
Buchanan Elementary - 03
418 students · KG–05
● 46 opp27% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
2306 Brookstone Loop, Pierre, SD 57501
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.