Public schools in Pierre, SD
5 open public schools with an address in Pierre, operated by 1 education agency. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
5
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
2,749
5 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
16.6:1
South Dakota median 12.5:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Pierre public schools
The federal directory lists 5 public schools in Pierre, SD: 3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high. The 5 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 2,749 students, an average of 550 per school. The largest campus is T F Riggs High School - 01 (855 students), and the largest elementary school is Buchanan Elementary - 03 (432).
Every listed school belongs to Pierre School District 32-2. 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 16.6:1, higher than 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.
About 31% 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 Pierre
Elementary schools in Pierre
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan Elementary - 03 Pierre School District 32-2 | KG–05 | 432 | 16.6:1 | |
| Jefferson Elementary - 06 Pierre School District 32-2 | KG–05 | 377 | 13.5:1 | |
| Kennedy Elementary - 08 Pierre School District 32-2 | KG–05 | 413 | 15.9:1 |
Middle schools in Pierre
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Morse Middle School - 02 Pierre School District 32-2 | 06–08 | 672 | 17.4:1 |
High schools in Pierre
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T F Riggs High School - 01 Pierre School District 32-2 | 09–12 | 855 | 17.8:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White66.2%
- Hispanic5.3%
- Black0.4%
- Asian1.2%
- American Indian / Alaska Native14.8%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
- Multiracial12%
Enrollment-weighted across 5 Pierre schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (2,749 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Pierre
How many public schools are in Pierre, SD?
The current NCES directory lists 5 open public schools with a location address in Pierre: 3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high. Together they reported 2,749 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Pierre?
All listed public schools with an address in Pierre belong to Pierre School District 32-2. Mailing cities do not always match district boundaries, so confirm the district for a specific home address.
What is the largest public high school in Pierre?
T F Riggs High School - 01 reported the largest high-school enrollment in Pierre, with 855 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Pierre?
No school with an address in Pierre 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 Pierre schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Pierre public schools is 16.6:1, higher than 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 Pierre 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