The reported proficiency rate for Math is 8%.
Original Research by School Decision on Riverside Colony Elementary - 15
Riverside Colony Elementary sits in the Huron School District 02-2, serving kindergarten through eighth grade from a rural address outside Huron, South Dakota. The name signals what families in this part of the state will recognize as a colony school, a model tied to the Hutterite communities that dot the eastern Dakota prairie. These schools are small by design, serving the children of a single colony, and Riverside Colony fits that pattern. Its enrollment is tiny, with just a handful of students per grade level and an all-white student body. No free-or-reduced-price lunch data, special education counts, or English learner figures were reported, so the demographic picture is limited to race and grade distribution.
The academic data is thin, and what is available reflects the challenge of measuring such a small school. State math results for grades three through eight showed very low proficiency, with only a single student testing proficient out of a small tested group. A parent reading that number should keep in mind that with so few test-takers, one student's result shifts the rate dramatically. English language arts and science results were suppressed, which is common practice for schools with very small tested populations to protect student privacy. No multi-year trend data was available, so there is no way to see whether these results represent a pattern or a single-year snapshot. The state uses the SBAC assessment for math and English and the SDSA for science, and participation in math testing was full among those enrolled to test.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. No data on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, attendance, Title I status, or civil-rights indicators was available. Program offerings were not reported. This is a school where the publicly available picture is quite limited, and a parent would want to contact the Huron district directly for details about curriculum, instruction, and student support that the data does not cover.
Huron itself is the seat of Beadle County, a town built around agriculture and the railroad. Publicly reported sources describe an economy grounded in diversified farming, including corn, wheat, soybeans, cattle, and hogs, with manufacturing that produces metal doors, construction equipment, and electronics. Federal offices for several agencies, including the USDA and Social Security Administration, provide stable employment. The South Dakota State Fair brings seasonal tourism, and pheasant hunting draws visitors in the fall. Civic amenities include parks, a public waterpark, the Dakotaland Museum, a public library, and golf courses. People's Transit offers demand-response service within the area. The broader Huron district operates three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, alongside parochial and private options including Holy Trinity School and James Valley Christian School.
Housing in the area is affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks, with typical home values well below what you would find in larger South Dakota markets or the national median. Year-over-year home value growth has been solid. No rent data was available for this location. The price-to-income ratio sits comfortably below national levels, which may appeal to families looking for lower-cost housing in an agricultural community.
For a parent weighing this school, the core reality is that Riverside Colony Elementary serves a very specific community. The tiny enrollment, the rural colony setting, and the limited public data all shape what kind of academic environment this is. The math results are low, but they come from such a small group that they tell you little on their own. The missing data across discipline, staffing, programs, and student services means the public record cannot answer many questions a parent would naturally ask. A family connected to the colony will already know the school's culture and expectations. A family considering it from outside would need to have a direct conversation with the district about what instruction looks like day to day, what resources are available, and how older students transition to the district's middle and high schools.
See more original research from School Decision →