The top reported proficiency rate is 66% in English language arts. The lowest is 50% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Selby Elementary - 02
Selby Elementary sits in the heart of Selby, a small rural town that serves as the county seat of Walworth County, South Dakota. The town sits along U.S. Highways 12 and 83, nestled between rich farmlands, with a mix of small businesses serving both year-round residents and seasonal hunting and fishing visitors. The community library is housed inside the school building, which anchors the town center alongside the county courthouse and city offices on Main Street. Lake Hiddenwood State Park sits a few miles northeast, and Lake Oahe, a major fishing destination, is a short drive away. The town has experienced long-term population decline, and no major new housing or commercial developments were identified in publicly reported sources. For a family considering this area, the housing market is quite affordable compared with state and national benchmarks, with home values well below the South Dakota median. Estimated monthly mortgage costs sit below what many families would pay elsewhere, though current mortgage rates remain elevated by recent historical standards.
The school serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, with a total enrollment that is small even for an elementary school in this region. The student body is predominantly white, with a small number of American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic, and multiracial students. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is relatively modest, suggesting that economic disadvantage here is less concentrated than in many rural schools, though the figure still represents a meaningful portion of the student body. Data on individualized education programs and English learner status was not reported, so those population sizes remain unknown.
On state assessments, Selby Elementary shows solid proficiency. In mathematics, a majority of tested students in grades three through eight reached proficient or above on the SBAC assessment, and in English language arts the proficient share was even higher. Science proficiency, measured by the South Dakota Science Assessment, landed at about half of tested students, though the science-tested group is quite small, which means a few students moving in or out of proficiency can shift results noticeably. Full participation was reported across all three subjects. Average scale scores were not available, so the picture rests on proficiency rates alone. Multi-year trend data was not provided, so it is not possible to say from the available figures whether performance is rising, falling, or holding steady. A parent who wants to understand whether these results reflect a pattern over time would want to ask the school directly.
Because this is an elementary building serving only through grade five, there is no graduation rate to report, and the college- and career-oriented measures that apply to high schools do not apply here. Information on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, and attendance was not available in the data provided. Title I status was also not reported. These gaps are common for small rural elementary schools, where some data fields go unreported in state systems, but a parent may want to look into staffing and attendance details with the district directly.
The parent district, Selby Area School District 62-5, appears in publicly available sources alongside other civic institutions, and the community library sharing the school building points to a close relationship between school and town life. No recent district-level changes of lasting impact were identified in the available research. For a family drawn to a quiet, rural, county-seat setting where the school functions as a civic anchor, Selby Elementary offers a small pre-K-through-five environment with above-average proficiency in core subjects and an affordable housing context, though the limited data on support services and trend performance means some questions are best answered by visiting the school and talking with staff.
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