Best Schools in Pennington County, SD
Pennington County, SD has 56 public schools (11 high, 10 middle, 32 elementary) serving 19,663 students. On average they score 40% on state proficiency tests against a projected 39%, so schools in Pennington County meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Pennington County, SD
The top high schools in Pennington County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Hill City High School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hill City School District 51-2 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 152 Students
2. Custer High School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Custer School District 16-1 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 284 Students
3. Stevens High School - 42
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1686 Students
4. Douglas High School - 03
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Douglas School District 51-1 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 749 Students
5. New Underwood High School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
New Underwood School District 51-3 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 96 Students
6. Wall High School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wall School District 51-5 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 99 Students
7. Central High School - 41
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1768 Students
8. Lakota Tech High School - 10
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Oglala Lakota County 65-1 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 449 Students
9. Rapid City Online High School - 92
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 53 Students
10. Lincoln Building - 44
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 12 • 32 Students
Best Middle Schools in Pennington County, SD
The top middle schools in Pennington County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Custer Jr. High - 05
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Custer School District 16-1 • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 101 Students
2. Southwest Middle School - 38
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 660 Students
3. Hill City Middle School - 04
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hill City School District 51-2 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 120 Students
4. West Middle School - 37
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 612 Students
5. Wall Middle School - 06
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wall School District 51-5 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 68 Students
6. New Underwood Jr. High - 04
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
New Underwood School District 51-3 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 68 Students
7. East Middle School - 30
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 600 Students
8. Douglas Middle School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Douglas School District 51-1 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 670 Students
9. South Middle School - 36
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 553 Students
10. North Middle School - 35
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 513 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Pennington County, SD
The top elementary schools in Pennington County, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Custer Elementary - 02
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Custer School District 16-1 • Public • Grades Pre K - 6 • 304 Students
2. Corral Drive Elementary - 21
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 461 Students
3. Pinedale Elementary - 11
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 365 Students
4. Wall Elementary - 02
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Wall School District 51-5 • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 116 Students
5. Meadowbrook Elementary - 10
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 464 Students
6. Hill City Elementary - 02
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hill City School District 51-2 • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 221 Students
7. Patriot Elementary -06
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Douglas School District 51-1 • Public • Grades Pre K - 3 • 890 Students
8. Hermosa Elementary - 04
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Custer School District 16-1 • Public • Grades Pre K - 6 • 222 Students
9. Vandenberg Elementary - 02
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Douglas School District 51-1 • Public • Grades 4 - 5 • 441 Students
10. Grandview Elementary - 06
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 406 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Pennington County, SD
County-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Pennington County, SD has a total population of 109,222 with 24% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 95%, and 34% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Pennington County, SD
K-12 Students
High School Graduates
Adults 25+ with HS diplomas
College Graduates
Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher
Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Pennington County, SD.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
18.53 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
3.64 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
14.89 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Pennington County, SD.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Pennington County, SD.
ISP Report Card
Internet Infrastructure Grade
Average Download Speed
Speed Most Residents Can Get
Digital Connectivity Index
ISP Connectivity Demand Report
To read more about these statistics, please visit Pennington County, SD Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Pennington County, SD
How many schools are in Pennington County, SD?
Pennington County, SD has 56 public schools: 11 high schools, 10 middle schools and 32 elementary schools, serving 19,663 students in total.
How do schools in Pennington County perform on state tests?
On average, 56 schools in Pennington County score 40% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 39%, so on average schools in Pennington County meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Pennington County?
Every public school gets a SchoolGrade from A+ to F based on the share of students at or above the state proficiency bar. The Impact Grade compares that result with what we would expect given the school’s student and community context, so schools that outperform their circumstances stand out. Schools cannot pay to change a grade. Read the full methodology.
Best Schools in Cities Near Pennington County, SD
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 48%
- Projected: 45%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 52%
- Projected: 43%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 49%
- Projected: 42%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 55%
- Projected: 46%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 66%
- Projected: 46%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 58%
- Projected: 43%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 43%
- Projected: 34%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 51%
- Projected: 46%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 38%
- Projected: 30%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 60%
- Projected: 45%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
Cities, towns and school districts in Pennington County
1 places in Pennington County with graded public schools. Each link opens that place's ranked schools.
Cities and towns (1)
- Rapid City (3)
School districts (5)
- Rapid City Area School District 51-4 (27 schools)
- Douglas School District 51-1 (4 schools)
- Hill City School District 51-2 (3 schools)
- New Underwood School District 51-3 (3 schools)
- Wall School District 51-5 (3 schools)