About Us

Why Douglas School District, why Box Elder?

Box Elder is just minutes from Rapid City, South Dakota’s second-largest city.
Box Elder is an expanding community. Between 2013 and 2022, Box Elder's population increased by 3,488, showing an average annual growth of 2.2%.
Box Elder, home to Ellsworth Air Force Base, is a growing residential community for both military and civilian families. With a population of almost 12,000, it is the 12th largest city in South Dakota and one of the fastest-growing cities.
Box Elder is just minutes from Rapid City, South Dakota’s second-largest city. It’s the gateway to the Black Hills, with Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, and Deadwood nearby!
The Douglas School District expands into portions of Pennington and Meade County.
It’s the gateway to the Black Hills, with Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Badlands National Park, and Deadwood nearby!

What makes Douglas School District unique?

Douglas School District serves approximately 2,900 students and employs more than 400 people.
Smaller class sizes; grades K-2 (under 22), grades 3-5 (under 25)
More than 72% of DSD teachers have advanced degrees
The average teacher has 15.9 years of experience.
We are a diverse community, with nearly 37% of our students proudly connected to military families who are:
- Active Duty Living On Base
- Active Duty Living Off Base
- Lives on Federal Property
- Works on Base
In 2021, Douglas received the first Purple Star designation in South Dakota for their support and commitment to meeting the unique needs of military-connected students and their families.
We are the only school in the area with an ROTC program.
Douglas is one of the top 5 school districts in South Dakota.
Learn more about the History of Douglas.

Douglas School District is committed to helping every student learn, grow, and take pride in their community. We focus on quality teaching, safe schools, and strong partnerships among students, families, staff, and community members. Our goal is to prepare students for success in college, careers, and life.

We honor our traditions while looking for new ways to improve and help students succeed. We believe education works best when schools, families, and communities work together. Through this shared effort, we help every student build the knowledge, skills, and confidence to go anywhere from here.