Potter County Education Attainment Charts

This section of charts contains education data for Potter County South Dakota based mainly on the latest year 2022 Census data using the American Community Survey but also the survey from Common Core Data available for Public Elementary through Secondary Schools. In Figure 1, the percent of all people aged 25 years or older, who have either graduated from high school or completed the Graduate Equivalency Degree (GED) or some equivalent certification/credential. Potter County depicts it has a High School Grad or higher of 94% which is the second most of all the counties in the local area. The county with the highest percent high school graduates or better in the area is Sully County which depicts a high school graduates of 97% (only about 2.7% larger).

In Figure 2, the percentage of people aged 25 years or older who have graduated from college/university with at least a bachelor's degree is provided. Note that the bachelor's degree is also called a four-year degree because it normally takes four years of full-time study to finish the course curriculum required to obtain the degree. This chart portrays the proportion of the population in this region who are college graduates with at least a bachelor degree or higher. In many ways, this analysis alongside the prior chart are very quick measures of the level of education in any particular area. Potter County shows it has a Bachelors Degree or higher of 24% which is in the intermediate range of other counties in the surrounding region. The county with the highest percent with a bachelors degree or higher in the area is Faulk County which shows a percent with a bachelors degree of 25% (only about 3.8% larger).

Figure 4 shows the percentage of people 25 years of age or older who either have no schooling at all or dropped out of school before being able to complete high school. Additionally, these are people who also do not have a Graduate Equivalency Degree (GED) or some other high school level type credential/student achievement. This analysis, along with the last two charts, provides another high level review and comparative data on the Potter County South Dakota educational level. Potter County depicts it has a School Dropout Rate of 6% which is the second smallest when sorted by percent who dropped out of school of all the other counties in the local area. The county with the highest percent who dropped out of school in the area is Dewey County which depicts a percent who dropped out of school of 17% (approximately 2.8 times bigger).

Figure 5 provides a more detailed look at the educational attainment for Potter County South Dakota. This chart provides the proportion of people aged 25 years of age or older and what was their level of educational attainment. The chart provides 5 broad categories including: No Education/No School, Some High School, High School or equivalent, Some college or Associates Degree, and Bachelors Degree or higher. Potter County has the percentage of percent of people with no schooling the second smallest in order of percent of people with no schooling of all the other counties in the area at 6% of the total. Second, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with less than a high school education at 39% of the total and is ranked #1.

The next chart shows a break down of people who have received a bachelor's degree or higher advanced degree generally in a campus learning environment. In particular, Figure 6, provides the proportional breakdown of all the people who have received a postsecondary education along with what the level of advanced degree that was obtained. Note that these categories do not include any type professional development type activities such as those related to maintaining professional credentials in workshop lessons. Note Professional Degree includes medical, dental, lawyers, etc. Potter County has the largest proportion of percent of people with an associate degree at 54% of the total and is ranked #1. Second, it has the second smallest as measured by percent of people with an associate degree of all the other counties in the local area when ranked by percent of people with a bachelors degree at 10% of the total. Third, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with a masters degree at 5% of the total and is ranked #1.

The chart in Figure 7 shows the broad area of academic concentration or the discipline for people who have received a bachelors degree. This high level classification is essentially the field of study for which a degree was obtained. Potter County has the percentage of percent of people with a degree in a science or engineering related less than most other counties in the surrounding region at 11.7% of the total.

The next chart (Figure 8) provides a more detailed deep dive on the category of major degree obtained for people aged 25 years or older who earned a bachelor's degree or higher. Specifically, this frequency distribution details out what the major field of study was the degree obtained. Potter County has the largest proportion of percent of people with a degree in computers, mathematics and statistics at 22.3% of the total and is ranked #1. Second, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with a degree in engineering at 2.0% of the total and is ranked #1.

Figure 9 provides comparative data between the places in the greater Potter County South Dakota region for broad educational attainment. This analysis uses provides five broad education attainment categories including: No Education/No School, Some High School, High School or equivalent, Some college or Associates Degree, and Bachelors Degree or higher. Potter County has the largest proportion of percent of people with less than a high school degree at 39.0% of the total and is ranked #1. Second, it has less than most other counties in the greater region in terms of percent of people with high school (or ged) at 30.6% of the total.

A more detailed frequency distribution of educational attainment is provided in Figure 10. In particular this illustration breaks out the highest levels of university educational opportunities beyond the four year college degree. Included in the breakout are the relative proportion of masters degrees, PhD/Doctorate/Doctorial holders, and professional degrees such as medicine, dentistry, lawyers, etc. Potter County has the percentage of percent of people with no schooling the second smallest in order of percent of people with no schooling of all the other counties in the local area at 5.6% of the total. Second, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with less than high school at 39.0% of the total and is ranked #1. Third, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with a masters degree at 1.6% of the total and is ranked #1. The next exhibit (Figure 11) provides detailed cross tabulation analysis that provides education success data broken out or cross tabulated by age group. Please note that the columns add to 100% and you must use the pagination buttons at the bottom of the table to see all the rows. Figure 12 is a cross tabulation analysis that shows large educational success categories and is broken out or cross tabulated by racial group. Please note that the columns add to 100% and you must use the pagination buttons at the bottom of the table to see all the rows.The final cross tabulation analysis is provided in Figure 13 and shows education success broken out by gender. Please note that the columns add to 100% and you must use the pagination buttons at the bottom of the table to see all the rows.

Potter County School Enrollment Charts

The next section of chart resources look at school enrollment by a variety of educational institutions and are categorized into a number of other groupings. Figure 14 provides the overall school enrollment by broad range of school age/level groupings. Potter County has one of the largest proportions of percent of children in kindergarten at 26.9% of the total and is ranked #3. Only #2 Edmunds County (27.5%), and #1 Dewey County (34.8%) are larger. Second, it has the second smallest in order of percent of children in kindergarten of all the other counties in the area in order of percent of children in grade 1 to 4 at 25.5% of the total. Third, it has one of the largest proportions of percent of children in grades 9 to 12 at 12.4% of the total and is ranked #2. The only larger county being Hyde County with 13.6%. Also, it has the smallest proportion of percent of people in undergraduate colleges at 1.2% of the total.

Figure 15 provides a simple high level comparison of the proportion of students that are enrolled in public schools versus students enrolled in private schools in the Potter County South Dakota region. Potter County shows percent enrolled in public schools considerably bigger as the percent enrolled in private schools.

The next comparison provided in Figure 16 shows the proportion of students enrolled in private schools versus students enrolled public schools for students enrolled in Kindergarten through 8th grade (grade 8) or (K through 8). Potter County depicts percent of children enrolled in public k-8 grades considerably bigger as the percent of children enrolled in private k-8 grades.

Figure 17 provides a comparative analysis all students enrolled in a public high school versus those students who are enrolled in private high school schools. Potter County indicates percent enrolled in a public high school markedly bigger as the percent enrolled in a private high school.

The next chart (Figure 18) provides a similar analysis to the last chart but provides the data for public post secondary education versus private higher education colleges. Potter County shows percent enrolled in a public college substantially bigger as the percent enrolled in a private college.

The next chart in this series of resources shown in Figure 20 looks at the total number of students enrolled in any educational institution for each place in the greater Potter County region. (Total enrollment in this case includes all students from preschool all the way through students enrolled in graduate school.) Potter County depicts it has a Total Enrolled of 543 which is in the center range of other counties in the local area. The county with the highest total population enrolled in school in the area is Dewey County which depicts a total population enrolled in school of 1,621 (approximately 3.0 times bigger). Comparing total population enrolled in school to the United States average of 81,076,829, Potter County is only about 0.0% the size. Also, compared to the state of South Dakota, total population enrolled in school of 217,474, Potter County is only about 0.2% the size.

The final chart in this series is Figure 22 and provides analysis data for the school year shown. The chart shows the proportion of kids/children that are enrolled in a pre-school public district versus those kids/children who are enrolled in a private pre-school oriented tuition institution (private salary/superintendent/etc.) Potter County South Dakota has one of the largest proportions of public preschool enrollment at 7% of the total and is ranked #3. Only #2 Sully County (12%), and #1 Walworth County (68%) are larger.

Potter County Area Schools Charts

Figure 23 lists all the schools in the area along with the school district, county location and other program information/credential such as if they are a public charter school or private charter school or magnet school. Some of the Area Schools are: Gettysburg Elementary - 02, Gettysburg Jr. High - 03, Gettysburg High School - 01, Hoven Elementary - 02, and Hoven Jr. High - 03. The next illustration in Figure 24 shows the total child school enrollment for all grades (through 12th grade) at the school shown using NCES data (Common Core of Data, Public Elementary-Secondary School Universe Survey.) Looking at Enrollment for Area Schools we find that Gettysburg Elementary - 02 ranks the largest with a value of 145 enrolled students. The next largest values are for: Selby Elementary - 02 (116), Onida Elementary - 04 (106), Gettysburg High School - 01 (82), and Sully Buttes High School - 07 (79). The difference between the highest value (Gettysburg Elementary - 02) and the next highest (Selby Elementary - 02) is that the enrolled students is about 25.0% larger.

Figure 25 show the ratio of the number of students to the number of teachers in the classroom. A good student to teacher ratio should be low because it indicates that there are less students for any one teacher to educate in a class and generally a better learning environment, better success and optimal teaching excellence. Teachers includes all educational staff such as special education teachers and any other educator. Note that distance learning (online learning/remote learning) is not included in these values. Looking at Student to Teacher Ratio for Area Schools we find that Hoven High School - 01 ranks the largest with a value of 5.7 student to teacher ratio. The next largest values are for: Selby High School - 01 (6.8), Bowdle High School - 01 (6.9), Hoven Elementary - 02 (7.1), and Hoven Jr. High - 03 (7.1). The difference between the lowest value (Hoven High School - 01) and the next lowest (Selby High School - 01) is that the student to teacher ratio is 19.7% larger.

The next chart, Figure 26, shows the racial mix of students at each location in this district of the state of South Dakota department of education.