Watertown School District Tops South Dakota Averages in Academic Proficiency and Graduation Rates
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Watertown School District outperformed state averages across all core academic subjects and graduation metrics, according to the 2025-2026 South Dakota District Report Card.
Aligned with South Dakota’s school accountability system, the annual report evaluates student performance, academic progress, attendance, graduation rates, postsecondary readiness, educator qualifications, and school safety.
Academic Performance and Student Progress
South Dakota students take annual state assessments in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics in grades three through eight and grade 11, while science assessments are administered in grades five, eight, and 11. Full-academic-year students in the Watertown School District exceeded state proficiency averages in every tested subject:
· English Language Arts Proficiency: 54% district average, compared to the 50% state average.
· Mathematics Proficiency: 53% district average, compared to the 45% state average.
· Science Proficiency: 44% district average, compared to the 43% state average.
In the Student Progress measure — which tracks year-over-year academic improvement from the prior school year — 59% of Watertown students demonstrated growth in English language arts and 57% showed progress in mathematics.
Among the 1,745 students evaluated for ELA proficiency across student populations, female students recorded a 56% proficiency rate (857 students), and male students recorded 53% proficiency (888 students). By demographic and student group, ELA proficiency reached 58% for White/Caucasian students (1,417 students), 55% for Asian students (11 students), 40% for students of two or more races (67 students), 37% for Hispanic/Latino students (108 students), 37% for economically disadvantaged students (531 students), 28% for homeless students (18 students), 26% for American Indian/Alaska Native students (74 students), 25% for English Learners (131 students), and 20% for students with disabilities (316 students).
For English Learner progress, 45.74% of students in the program are on track to attain language mastery within five years based on South Dakota English Language Proficiency (SD-ELP) assessment scores, and 8.51% have exited the program.
High School Completion and Postsecondary Readiness
Watertown High School students also outpaced state averages in both four-year graduation and overall high school completion by age 21:
· On-Time Graduation Rate: 90% district average, topping the 88% state average.
· High School Completion Rate: 94% district average, exceeding the 91% state average.
· College and Career Readiness: 56% overall district readiness rate.
Across the 290 students tracked in the on-time graduation cohort, female students achieved a 92% on-time graduation rate (152 students), and male students recorded an 88% rate (138 students). Subgroup on-time graduation rates included 95% for White/Caucasian students (230 students), 89% for students of two or more races (19 students), 75% for economically disadvantaged students (67 students), 73% for students with disabilities (30 students), 58% for Hispanic/Latino students (24 students), and 58% for American Indian/Alaska Native students (12 students).
Postsecondary data from the National Student Clearinghouse — tracking graduates who enrolled in higher education within 16 months of completing high school two years prior — shows that 66% of Watertown graduates pursued higher education:
· By Degree Type: 42% enrolled in four-year degree programs and 24% enrolled in two-year degree programs.
· By Institution Type: 50% attended public in-state institutions, 12% attended out-of-state institutions, and 4% attended private in-state institutions.
· Top Four Preferred Institutions: Lake Area Technical College, South Dakota State University, the University of South Dakota, and Dakota State University.
· ACT Performance: Watertown students posted an average ACT score of 21, matching the state average of 21.
Educator Qualifications, Attendance, and School Safety
The district report card counts a proportional full-time equivalent of 218.90 teachers and 15.00 administrators in the Watertown School District, with teachers holding an average of 13.04 years of experience. Among district teachers, 16.4% have three or fewer years of experience, 1.5% teach out-of-field, 1.4% hold provisional or temporary certification, 1.1% have three or fewer years of experience while teaching out-of-field, 0.5% hold an alternative certification or educator permit, and 0.3% have no certification.
In the School Environment category, the district recorded an overall attendance rate of 91% across elementary and middle schools, with a 20% chronic absenteeism rate.
School safety metrics, derived from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights’ 2021-2022 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) survey, showed:
· In-School Suspensions: 6.09%
· Law Enforcement Referrals: 3.23%
· Out-of-School Suspensions: 2.69%
· Incidents of Violence: 1.38%
· Arrests: 0.91%
· Harassment and Bullying: 0.71%
· Expulsions: 0%
