Public schools in Aberdeen, SD
11 open public schools with an address in Aberdeen, operated by 2 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
11
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
4,252
11 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
12.9:1
South Dakota median 12.5:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Aberdeen public schools
The federal directory lists 11 public schools in Aberdeen, SD: 7 elementary, 2 middle, 2 high. The 11 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 4,252 students, an average of 387 per school. The largest campus is Central High School - 01 (1,384 students), and the largest elementary school is Simmons Elementary - 10 (386).
Aberdeen School District 06-1 operates the most schools here (9), plus 1 charter, service, or other agency. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 12.9:1, similar to the statewide school median of 12.5:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
Among 2 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 1 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 1 of 2 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 40% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Aberdeen
Elementary schools in Aberdeen
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C C Lee Elementary - 05 Aberdeen School District 06-1 | KG–05 | 356 | 14.8:1 | |
| Lincoln Elementary - 08 Aberdeen School District 06-1 | PK–05 | 233 | 8.2:1 | |
| May Overby Elementary - 09 Aberdeen School District 06-1 | KG–05 | 327 | 11.5:1 | |
| Mike Miller Elementary - 07 Aberdeen School District 06-1 | KG–05 | 282 | 13.6:1 | |
| O M Tiffany Elementary - 11 Aberdeen School District 06-1 | KG–05 | 304 | 12.9:1 | |
| SDSBVI Elementary - 01 SD Sch for the Blind & Visually Impaired · Special Education School | PK–08 | 10 | 1.2:1 | |
| Simmons Elementary - 10 Aberdeen School District 06-1 | KG–05 | 386 | 12.7:1 |
Middle schools in Aberdeen
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holgate Middle School - 02 Aberdeen School District 06-1 | 06–08 | 497 | 14.5:1 | |
| Simmons Middle School - 03 Aberdeen School District 06-1 | 06–08 | 464 | 15:1 |
High schools in Aberdeen
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central High School - 01 Aberdeen School District 06-1 | 09–12 | 1,384 | 17.2:1 | |
| SDSBVI High School - 02 SD Sch for the Blind & Visually Impaired · Special Education School | 09–12 | 9 | 2.1:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White69.9%
- Hispanic10.4%
- Black2.2%
- Asian3.7%
- American Indian / Alaska Native6.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.7%
- Multiracial6.9%
Enrollment-weighted across 11 Aberdeen schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (4,252 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Aberdeen
How many public schools are in Aberdeen, SD?
The current NCES directory lists 11 open public schools with a location address in Aberdeen: 7 elementary, 2 middle, 2 high. Together they reported 4,252 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Aberdeen?
Schools with an address in Aberdeen belong to 2 education agencies, led by Aberdeen School District 06-1 (9 schools), SD Sch for the Blind & Visually Impaired (2 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Aberdeen?
Central High School - 01 reported the largest high-school enrollment in Aberdeen, with 1,384 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Aberdeen?
No school with an address in Aberdeen is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in South Dakota.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Aberdeen schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Aberdeen public schools is 12.9:1, similar to the South Dakota school median of 12.5:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Aberdeen guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby South Dakota cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All South Dakota cities