A new report released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows that South Dakota ranks 38th for education.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a private organization that focuses on helping children, youth, and young adults build better futures through research, grants, and advocacy work.
The 2026 Kids Count report says the state ranked worse in 2024 than in 2019 in three of four metrics tracked for education. Data focuses on math, reading proficiency, and preschool attendance. It says the decline in these educational areas is yet to recover from the pandemic.
According to the report, in 2024, 64 percent of children from 3 to 4 years of age were not in school, and 72 percent of fourth graders weren’t proficient in reading.
The same data shows that 67 percent of eighth graders were not proficient in math. Additionally, it shows 16 percent of high school students did not graduate on time.
The country as a whole also saw a decline from 2024 to 2019, however the outcomes vary.
