Best Schools in Watertown, SD
Watertown, SD has 26 public schools (5 high, 6 middle, 13 elementary) serving 6,083 students. On average they score 43% on state proficiency tests against a projected 46%, so schools in Watertown don't meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Watertown, SD
The top high schools in Watertown, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Hamlin High School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hamlin School District 28-3 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 233 Students
2. Castlewood High School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Castlewood School District 28-1 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 91 Students
3. Watertown High School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watertown School District 14-4 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1220 Students
4. Waverly-south Shore High School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waverly School District 14-5 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 92 Students
5. Florence High School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Florence School District 14-1 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 85 Students
Best Middle Schools in Watertown, SD
The top middle schools in Watertown, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Watertown Intermediate School - 13
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watertown School District 14-4 • Public • Grades 5 - 6 • 548 Students
2. Watertown Middle School - 02
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watertown School District 14-4 • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 600 Students
3. Hamlin Middle School - 02
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hamlin School District 28-3 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 186 Students
4. Waverly-south Shore Middle School - 03
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waverly School District 14-5 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 57 Students
5. Castlewood Middle School - 03
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Castlewood School District 28-1 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 75 Students
6. Florence Middle School - 03
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Florence School District 14-1 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 71 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Watertown, SD
The top elementary schools in Watertown, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Castlewood Elementary - 02
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Castlewood School District 28-1 • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 154 Students
2. Hamlin Elementary - 09
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hamlin School District 28-3 • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 451 Students
3. Jefferson Elementary - 09
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watertown School District 14-4 • Public • Grades 1 - 4 • 361 Students
4. Lincoln Elementary - 05
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watertown School District 14-4 • Public • Grades 1 - 4 • 338 Students
5. Mellette Elementary - 07
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watertown School District 14-4 • Public • Grades 1 - 4 • 212 Students
6. Florence Elementary - 02
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Florence School District 14-1 • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 152 Students
7. Waverly-south Shore Elementary - 02
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Waverly School District 14-5 • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 122 Students
8. Claremont Colony Elementary - 04
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Castlewood School District 28-1 • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 14 Students
9. Mckinley Elementary - 06
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watertown School District 14-4 • Public • Grades Pre K - KG • 234 Students
10. Watertown Christian School
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Watertown Christian School • Private • Grades KG - 8 • 60 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Watertown, SD
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Watertown, SD has a total population of 23,517 with 23% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 92%, and 23% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Watertown, 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 Watertown, SD.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
14.84 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
2.80 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
12.04 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Watertown, SD.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Watertown, 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 Watertown, SD Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Watertown, SD
How many schools are in Watertown, SD?
Watertown, SD has 26 public schools: 5 high schools, 6 middle schools and 13 elementary schools, serving 6,083 students in total.
How do schools in Watertown perform on state tests?
On average, 26 schools in Watertown score 43% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 46%, so on average schools in Watertown don't meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Watertown?
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 Watertown, SD
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 44%
- Projected: 46%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 49%
- Projected: 47%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 41%
- Projected: 45%
- Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
- Actual: 40%
- Projected: 46%
- Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
- Actual: 45%
- Projected: 45%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 46%
- Projected: 45%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 51%
- Projected: 46%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 51%
- Projected: 46%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 47%
- Projected: 43%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 40%
- Projected: 45%
- Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
Every school in Watertown
6 of 9 schools in Watertown carry a SchoolGrade (3 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
B: 4C: 2
All 9 public schools we grade in Watertown. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (1)
Middle and junior high schools (2)
Elementary and primary schools (5)
- Jefferson Elementary 09
- Lincoln Elementary 05
- Mckinley Elementary 06
- Mellette Elementary 07
- Roosevelt Elementary 08
Other schools and academies (1)
Private schools (4)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.