Henry School District 14-2, SD

Original Research by School Decision on Henry School District 14-2

Henry School District 14-2 is a small, rural South Dakota district serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across three schools: Henry Elementary, Henry Middle School, and Henry High School. The total enrollment is modest, with small cohorts at each grade level, which means children here grow up alongside the same classmates year after year. The student body is nearly entirely white, with only a handful of students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. Free or reduced-price lunch data was not reported, so the economic profile of the student population is something a parent would need to ask the district about directly. English learner and special education counts were also not available in the data provided.

The district sits in Codington County, and its housing market leans expensive relative to both South Dakota and national benchmarks. The weighted home value for the area runs well above the state typical figure, driven largely by one zip code that carries most of the district's housing weight. That same area has seen a recent year-over-year decline in values, a mild softening rather than a steep drop. Rental data is thin and comes almost entirely from nearby Watertown, where rents are modest. For families considering buying, the gap between monthly rent and monthly mortgage costs is substantial, with owning requiring considerably more than renting at current mortgage rates. A family already settled in the area may find the housing market manageable, while newcomers moving in should expect purchase prices that run higher than much of the state.

On state assessments for grades three through eight, the district's results are low. In math, roughly one in five tested students reached proficiency. English language arts was somewhat stronger, with closer to three in ten students proficient. Science, tested in a smaller subset of grades, saw only a small fraction of students meet the proficiency bar. Full participation was achieved across all three subjects, which means the results reflect the entire tested population rather than a skewed sample. Still, the proficiency levels sit below what most parents would hope to see, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what instructional supports and improvement plans are in place. Average scale scores were not reported, so there is no additional detail on how students performed beyond the proficiency threshold.

The testing pool is small, which is inherent to a district of this size. A few students moving in or out, or a single strong or weak cohort, can shift results noticeably from year to year. This does not explain away the proficiency levels, but it does mean the numbers should be read with the understanding that each grade contributes a meaningful share of the total. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent a decline, an improvement, or a stable pattern.

We looked for the district's strategic priorities, recent referendums, curriculum changes, or other parent-relevant developments and found little of lasting impact in publicly available sources. The search returned basic enrollment, staffing, and fiscal profile information but nothing covering major policy shifts or program overhauls in the recent span. Program offerings, course access, staffing ratios, attendance patterns, and discipline data were not available in the data provided. Graduation rate data was also not reported here, though for a district this small, graduation outcomes can vary widely from year to year simply because each graduating class contains only a handful of students. A parent with questions about high school course offerings, dual-credit options, or post-graduate pathways should contact the district directly, as none of that detail was available to include.

What this district offers is a small, close-knit setting where families know one another and class sizes stay low throughout a child's education. The academic results as measured by state tests are a soft spot, and the housing market asks more of buyers than much of the surrounding region. For a family drawn to rural South Dakota life and a small-peer environment, the fit may work, but the academic picture warrants a direct conversation with district staff before deciding.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

200

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 1%

Black 2%

White 96%

Asian 1%

Am. Indian / AK Native 2%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

36%

—

Gr 38

33%

24%

Math

Gr 3

45%

—

Gr 38

20%

22%

Science

Gr 38

13%

14%

Schools in this District

3 schools are officially reported under this district.

Henry Elementary - 02

Henry High School - 01

Henry Middle School - 03

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

21%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

29%

Grades 3-8

Science

1 grade reported

13%

Grades 3-8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$506,456

Year-over-year change-4.0%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$198K to $519K

vs. state typical1.59x

vs. national typical1.38x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
57243		$519K	-4.5%	89.9%
57242	Hayti	$517K	-0.2%	5.3%
57225	Clark	$198K	-0.0%	3.6%
57201	Watertown	$320K	+2.5%	0.5%
57235	Florence	$509K	+1.3%	0.2%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,084/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (1 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
57201	Watertown	$1,084	—	0.5%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$2,556/mo

Home price / national median income6.0x

Annual rent / national median income15.5%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$1,471/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$319,255 (+2.8% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.