The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Math. The lowest is 41% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Rf Pettigrew Elementary - 17
R.F. Pettigrew Elementary sits on Sioux Falls' west side, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Sioux Falls School District. It is a large elementary school by South Dakota standards, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across its seven grade levels. The student body is majority white, with meaningful representation from Black, Hispanic, and multiracial families, along with smaller Asian and American Indian or Alaska Native groups. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which sits below what many urban elementary schools see and reflects the generally middle-income character of the surrounding neighborhood.
On the most recent state assessments, Pettigrew posted solid results in math and English language arts. More than half of tested students reached proficiency in both subjects, with math the stronger of the two. Science proficiency was lower, with fewer than half of tested students meeting the bar. Participation was full across all three subjects. The school had no average scale score data available, and no multi-year trend information was provided, so it is hard to say from the data alone whether these results represent steady performance or a shift from prior years. Science is the area where a parent may want to look into this further with the school, since proficiency there trailed the other subjects by a clear margin.
Data on special populations was limited. The school did not report figures for students with individualized education programs or English learners, so the picture of how those students are served is incomplete from this source. Discipline, attendance, staffing, and course-access information were also not available in the provided data.
The surrounding community is Sioux Falls, South Dakota's largest city and its economic center. The city has shifted over the decades from an industrial base to one driven by health care, finance, and retail, with Sanford Health and Avera Health as dominant employers. Manufacturing and food processing remain part of the economy. Sioux Falls sits at the junction of Interstates 29 and 90 and spans a large geographic area, making it largely car-dependent outside the downtown core. The Big Sioux River runs through the city, and Falls Park, centered on the river's cascades, serves as a signature gathering space. A long paved loop trail connects parks and neighborhoods for biking and walking. Downtown offers seasonal events like SculptureWalk and First Fridays, and the Washington Pavilion, converted from the old Washington High School, houses performing arts, visual arts, and a science center. Sioux Area Metro runs bus lines Monday through Saturday, supplemented by on-demand microtransit and paratransit.
Housing in the school's zip code is moderately priced relative to national figures, sitting below the national benchmark but above the South Dakota state benchmark. Estimated monthly mortgage costs run higher than typical rents, which means renting may be the more affordable option for families not yet ready to buy. Home values have risen modestly year over year, and rents have ticked up at a similar pace. The price-to-income ratio sits below the national level, suggesting that buying a home in this area is somewhat more attainable than in many parts of the country, though current mortgage rates add pressure to monthly costs.
The Sioux Falls School District is the largest in the state and continues to grow. The district recently opened Susan B. Anthony Elementary as a new school to help absorb rising enrollment, and capacity and boundary decisions remain active concerns as the city expands, particularly southward into Lincoln County. Publicly reported district materials describe ongoing facility planning tied to that growth. For a family at Pettigrew, this means boundary adjustments are a possibility to watch, since the district is actively managing where students are assigned as it adds capacity.
What the data shows is a large, relatively diverse elementary school with above-average academic results in core subjects, set in a growing midwestern city where the cost of living remains approachable. The science results and the missing special-population data are the clearest gaps, and they are where a family might reasonably ask the school for more detail before making a decision.
See more original research from School Decision →