Find your South Dakota school district in seconds, or explore all 148 school districts, 741 public schools, and 69 private schools on one interactive map. Every district boundary is loaded live from the NCES EDGE database for the 2024-2025 school year — so the numbers on this page match what the U.S. Department of Education is using.
South Dakota school districts at a glance
For 2024-25, South Dakota has 148 geographically bounded school districts covering roughly 196,342 km². Of these, 148 are unified PK-12 districts, 0 are elementary-only, and 0 administrative. Together they operate 741 public schools; a further 69 private schools serve South Dakota students outside the public system.
| School districts with boundaries | 148 |
|---|---|
| …unified PK-12 districts | 148 |
| Public schools | 741 |
| Private schools | 69 |
| Total K-12 schools | 810 |
| Total land area covered | 196,342 km² |
| Data vintage | NCES EDGE, school year 2024-2025 |
The largest South Dakota school districts by enrollment footprint
The districts below run the most public schools in South Dakota. Sioux Falls School District 49-5 is the largest with 45 schools.
| District | Public schools | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | 45 | PK-12 |
| Rapid City School District 51-4 | 27 | PK-12 |
| Todd County School District 66-1 | 12 | PK-12 |
| Meade School District 46-1 | 11 | PK-12 |
| Huron School District 02-2 | 11 | PK-12 |
| Harrisburg School District 41-2 | 11 | PK-12 |
| Aberdeen School District 06-1 | 10 | PK-12 |
| Brookings School District 05-1 | 9 | PK-12 |
| Watertown School District 14-4 | 9 | PK-12 |
| Mitchell School District 17-2 | 9 | PK-12 |
Largest South Dakota school districts by land area
By geographic footprint, these South Dakota districts cover the largest areas. Rural districts often cover thousands of square kilometres with only one or two schools.
| District | Land area | Public schools |
|---|---|---|
| Meade School District 46-1 | 7,963 km² | 11 |
| Harding County School District 31-1 | 6,919 km² | 5 |
| Oglala Lakota County School District 65-1 | 5,422 km² | 6 |
| Kadoka School District 35-2 | 5,339 km² | 6 |
| Haakon School District 27-1 | 4,265 km² | 4 |
| Lemmon School District 52-4 | 4,238 km² | 3 |
| Eagle Butte School District 20-1 | 3,989 km² | 6 |
| Dupree School District 64-2 | 3,892 km² | 3 |
| Stanley County School District 57-1 | 3,741 km² | 4 |
| Todd County School District 66-1 | 3,596 km² | 12 |
Top South Dakota counties by public school count
Schools are concentrated in South Dakota’s most populous counties. The ten below host the largest share of public schools in the state.
| County | Public schools |
|---|---|
| Minnehaha County | 79 |
| Pennington County | 41 |
| Lincoln County | 26 |
| Brown County | 22 |
| Spink County | 22 |
| Brookings County | 21 |
| Hutchinson County | 19 |
| Codington County | 17 |
| Beadle County | 17 |
| Meade County | 16 |
How to use the South Dakota school district map
- Search by address — type any South Dakota address, city, or ZIP code. The map drops a pin, zooms in, and highlights the district boundary that contains it.
- Use my location — browser geolocation centres the map on you and tells you which district you’re inside.
- Click any district to see its name, grade range, land area, public-school count, and NCES LEAID (the official federal identifier).
- Show public schools or Show private schools — toggle clusters of individual school locations on and off. Click any cluster to drill down; click any school for details.
- Share-link support — pan or zoom the map and the URL updates automatically. Copy-paste the URL to share the exact view with someone else.
Frequently asked questions about South Dakota school districts
How many school districts are there in South Dakota?
NCES EDGE maps 148 South Dakota school districts with geographic boundaries for the 2024-2025 school year. 148 are unified PK-12 districts, 0 are elementary-only, and 0 are administrative entities. The count does not include statewide charter LEAs, which NCES tracks separately but does not map geographically.
What is the biggest school district in South Dakota?
By number of schools, Sioux Falls School District 49-5 is the largest in South Dakota with 45 public schools. By land area, Meade School District 46-1 covers about 7,963 km² with 11 school(s).
How do I find out which school district my address is in (South Dakota)?
Type your address into the search box on the map above and press Find my district. The map drops a pin and highlights the district boundary that contains your address — the popup shows the district name, grade range, and public-school count. The match comes from a point-in-polygon query against the live NCES EDGE boundary service, so it reflects the current official geography.
Are charter schools included in this South Dakota map?
Brick-and-mortar charter school campuses appear as individual points when you toggle on “Show public schools” — they are counted in the 741 public school total. However, statewide charter LEAs do not have a single geographic boundary, so they are not shaded on the choropleth. If a charter campus sits inside a district’s boundary, it will show as a point but the boundary reflects the standard district, not the charter.
What is an NCES LEAID?
The LEAID (Local Education Agency ID) is the 7-digit federal identifier that NCES assigns to every school district. South Dakota district LEAIDs all start with 46 (the state FIPS code). The NCES LEAID is what you’ll see used in federal data releases, the Common Core of Data, and Title I funding records.
How often is this South Dakota school district data updated?
The map pulls straight from the NCES EDGE FeatureServer, which NCES refreshes roughly once per school year after district boundary filings are reconciled with the U.S. Census Bureau’s TIGER/Line program. Boundary changes (annexations, splits, consolidations) show up in the next annual release. The current vintage is school year 2024-2025.
Explore school districts across the United States
This page is part of MapScaping’s US School District Finder — an interactive explorer covering every district in all 50 states plus DC. Visit the hub to search any US address, browse by state, or compare district structures across the country.
Data source: NCES EDGE (Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates) program, school year 2024-2025. Boundaries, school counts, and grade ranges on this page are pulled live from the official NCES FeatureServer and reflect the most recent federal release.
