Editing Hill City, South Dakota (section)

==Education==
[[Hill City School District 51-2]], the area school district,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st46_sd/schooldistrict_maps/c46103_pennington/DC20SD_C46103.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Pennington County, SD|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-09-27}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st46_sd/schooldistrict_maps/c46103_pennington/DC20SD_C46103_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref> is made up of elementary, middle, and high schools located in separate buildings on the same campus. A permanent school building was constructed in 1921 and housed all grades until an elementary school building was constructed in 1961 with several modifications in the 1980s. The Middle School was built in the 1970s with several additions in the 1990s. After the middle school was built the original school building became the high school building. In 2001, construction was begun on a new high school which was completed in 2002. The previous high school was razed in 2003.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> Hill City District 51-2 schools are predominantly funded through property tax on those living in the school district. The district also has adopted an open enrollment policy that makes it easier to transfer between local school districts.

Enrollment as of the 2010–2011 school year was 506,<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://doe.sd.gov/ofm/applications/statdigest/default.asp |title= Education in South Dakota {{!}} District State Wide Profiles |access-date= 2007-05-19 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070512120325/http://doe.sd.gov/ofm/applications/statdigest/default.asp |archive-date= 2007-05-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> while the majority live outside the city limits. With Hill City's tourism rates rising an many people wanting the "quiet way of living" the enrollment rate sky-rocketed with over 700 students K-12 in Hill City.<ref name="Hill City School District 51-2">{{Cite web |title=Hill City School District 51-2 |url=https://www.hillcity.k12.sd.us/ |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=www.hillcity.k12.sd.us}}</ref> The school also serves the town of Keystone, South Dakota, and the unincorporated towns of [[Rochford, South Dakota|Rochford]], and [[Silver City, South Dakota|Silver City]]. The school system is administered by a board of education which as of the 2010–2011 school year, was made up of President Owen Wiederhold and members Cydnee Gruzenski, Kris Knapp, Darrell Sullivan and Michelle Anderson. The school's superintendent is Blake Gardner.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://hillcity.k12.sd.us/index.htm |title=Hill City Rangers Home Page<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=May 17, 2007 |archive-date=July 26, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070726140156/http://hillcity.k12.sd.us/index.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>  The high school principal is Todd Satter, the middle school principal is Joe Noyes, and the 2025 elementary principal is Samantha Weaver.<ref name="Hill City School District 51-2"/>

The Hill City Schools made AYP under the No Child Left Behind Legislation at every grade level and at every subgroup.  South Dakota school districts use the Dakota Step Test as its assessment tool.  The upcoming year, 79% of students will be required to be proficient in reading and 72% in math.