The Legislature's interim education committee received a wealth of information about South Dakota's K-12 system at its Wednesday meeting. Here's an assortment of numerical trivia about our public schools:
- Number of school districts opting out of property tax caps: 64.
- Total value of local school opt-outs (i.e., minimum amount of local education needs neglected by Legislature): $27.2 million.
- According to the Department of Education, student activities, like basketball games and theater productions, generate $1.8 million for K-12 schools. That's 0.28% of all local K-12 revenue and 0.15% of total revenue. Slide 15 of this DoE presentation shows another $6.1 million in "other revenue" (outside the funding formula) coming from co-curricular activities, which would be 0.50% of total K-12 revenue.
- General fund revenues spent on co-curricular activities, 2011–2012 academic year: $34 million.
- Total K-12 enrollment, Fall 2011: 124,739.
- Total FTE in K-12 management (superintendents, principals, etc.): 521.
- Total FTE in K-12 support staff (janitors, secretaries, food service, etc.): 7,452.
- Total FTE in K-12 instuction (classroom teachers): 9099.
- Percent of South Dakota teachers who are white: 97.8%.
- Percent of South Dakota teachers with more than 25 years experience: 19%.
- Average ACT score in 111 districts with enrollment under 600: 21.1.
- Average ACT score in 27 districts with enrollment from 600 to 1999: 21.8.
- Average ACT score in 14 districts with enrollment of 2000+: 22.1.