What percentage of public school funding in comes from the federal government?

Refreshed annually
About 20.7% or 1 in 5 dollars of South Dakota public school funding came from the federal government during the 2022–23 school year. As with most schools nationwide, South Dakota received more funding from local or state governments than it did from federal sources. The totals differ by district, depending on factors such as student demographics (like poverty levels), availability of state and local revenues, and whether a district is urban, suburban, or rural.

20.7%

of public school funding came from federal sources, 2022–23 school year

$3.17K

federal funding of K-12 public schools per student, 2022–23 school year
During the 2022–23 school year, the latest year data was available, South Dakota schools received a higher share of funding from federal sources compared with the US average (12.9%).

During the 2022–23 school year, public schools in South Dakota received 20.7% of funding from the federal government.

Share of public school district revenue coming from federal sources

In all, public schools in South Dakota received $449.5 million, or $2,558 in federal funds per student. That's 23.9% higher than the national average of $2,233 per student.

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During the 2022–23 school year, public schools in South Dakota received $3,168 per student from the federal government.

Public school district revenue per student coming from federal sources

Most federal public school funds are allocated based on formulas based on factors such as poverty status or a district’s rural location. Federal programs for schools include:
  • Child nutrition programs: Administered by the Department of Agriculture, this includes National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
  • Education for the disadvantaged: Also known as Title I, the federal government provides additional funds to schools with relatively high concentration of low-income students.
  • Special education: According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, the federal government is authorized though not mandated to supply 40% of special education funds.
Among 149 school districts in South Dakota, the Eagle Butte School District 20-1 outside of metro areas received 77.9% of its funds from the federal government during the 2022–23 school year, more than any other in the state. The Arlington School District 38-1 outside of metro areas received the smallest share at 4.3%.

Federal funding made up 4.3% to 77.9% of South Dakota school district budgets in 2022–23.

Share of public school district revenue coming from federal sources

Rapid City School District 51-4 received 22.5% of its 2022–23 funding from federal sources, the highest among South Dakota's 10 largest school districts. The Rapid City School District 51-4 also had the highest federal funding in the group at $3,204 per student. The Harrisburg School District 41-2 had the lowest share at 5.3% or $804 per student.

The 10 largest school districts in the South Dakota based on 2022–23 enrollment.

The 10 largest school districts in the South Dakota based on 2022–23 enrollment.
1.

Rapid City School District 51-4

22.5%
2.

Meade School District 46-1

16.7%
3.

Aberdeen School District 06-1

14.9%
4.

Huron School District 02-2

14.7%
5.

Sioux Falls School District 49-5

13.1%
6.

Yankton School District 63-3

11.8%
7.

Watertown School District 14-4

9.6%
8.

Brookings School District 05-1

8.5%
9.

Brandon Valley School District 49-2

6.6%
10.

Harrisburg School District 41-2

5.3%

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.