South Dakota

School Choice Policies

Charter School Choice

Does the state have charter schools?

No-

Education Commission of the States 50-State Comparison

Are for-profit charter schools or management companies allowed?

Not Applicable

Is there a cap on the number of charter schools?

Not Applicable

Are charters required to provide transportation for any students?

Not Applicable

Can charter schools employ uncertified teachers?

Not Applicable

Virtual School Choice

Do state statutes allow for full-time virtual schools?

Unclear-

"The South Dakota virtual school shall provide choice accessibility, flexibility, quality, and equity in curricular offerings for students in the state."

However, it is not clear whether students can enroll in the South Dakota Virtual School full-time.

South Dakota Codified Laws §13-33-24 South Dakota Virtual School Created

Are virtual schools required to track attendance?

Did not find

Do virtual schools have to comply with state teacher certification requirements?

Did not find

Private School Choice

Does the state have voucher programs?

No-

No voucher programs found.

EdChoice School Choice in America

Does the state have educational expense tuition tax credits or deductions?

No-

No educational expense tax credits or deductions found.

EdChoice School Choice in America

Can students use vouchers to attend religious schools?

Not Applicable

Is there a cap on the number of students or private schools participating in voucher programs?

Not Applicable

Are voucher students in private schools required to take any standardized tests?

Not Applicable

Can private schools be removed from voucher programs based on performance?

Not Applicable

Are private schools in voucher programs required to provide transportation?

Not Applicable

Interdistrict School Choice

Does the state have interdistrict choice programs?

Yes-

§13-28-21 states that the school board shall admit nonresident students to the public schools in the district when it can be done without injuring or overcrowding the schools.

Also, the Enrollment Options Programs was established to enable any South Dakota kindergarten through twelfth grade student to attend any public school that serves the student's grade level in any South Dakota school district.

South Dakota Codified Laws §13-28-21 Admission of nonresident students
South Dakota Codified Laws §13-28-40 Enrollment Options Program

Are receiving schools or districts required to provide transportation to any students?

No-

The parent or guardian of a student who has been accepted for transfer is responsible for transporting the student to school in the receiving district without reimbursement.

South Dakota Codified Laws §13-28-45. Transportation of transfer student.

Page last updated: July 2024

Click here to download the State Policy Spreadsheet. Click here to download the State Policy Map Data Memo.

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The State Policy Map provides a snapshot of school choice policy found in laws passed by the legislative bodies, for all 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on information gathered from state statutes in fall 2019; data checks continued through December 2020. Information on this site may not include the most up-to-date policy information. The State Policy Map does not systematically reflect state Department of Education administrative policies, rules, or regulations. All content on this site is provided for informational purposes only. Links to third-party websites are for the user’s convenience; neither REACH nor any affiliated entities endorse the contents of third-party sites.

Note: On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Montana's exclusion of religious schools from the state's tax credit scholarship program was unconstitutional (Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue 591). The responses to the question "Can students use vouchers to attend religious schools?" were collected before this ruling and therefore do not reflect any changes resulting from the Espinoza decision.