South Dakota, School Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of school records located at the South Dakota State Historical Society in Pierre. The records cover the years 1884 to 1938. The records include:


 * Teacher's term reports
 * School census
 * Attendance

The records are generally arranged by county, year, and school district number. This collection is being published as images become available.

The listing of school-aged children is a common practice throughout the United States. The records are usually compiled on a yearly basis. School records helped local governments determine funding needs for individual schools. The information is usually reliable although the ages are sometimes off by a year and legal guardians may be confused with parents.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browselink from the collection landing page.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in the School Census Records may include the following information:


 * Name of town and county
 * School District Number
 * Names of pupils
 * Ages of pupils
 * Gender of pupils
 * Beginning and ending dates of grading period
 * Beginning and ending dates for school year

How to Use the Record
School records can be very helpful as they can often be used as a reliable substitute for birth records or they can lead you to birth records. To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * Name of the child
 * Age or approximate birth date
 * Parents' names
 * Residence

Search the Collection
To begin your search you will need to know
 * Name or names of students
 * Years of attendance
 * Residence

Search the Collection
To search the collection image by image ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "County" ⇒Select the appropriate "School Districts and Year Range" which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestor. For example:


 * Use the age to calculate an approximate birth date.
 * Use the age or birth date along with the parents’ names and residence to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all children with the same parents. If the surname is unusual, you may want to compile the entries for every person of the same surname and sort them into families based on the names of the parents. Continue to search the birth records to identify other relatives such as cousins who attended the same school or other nearby schools.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after 1885.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from record to record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the surnames. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the records of nearby districts.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites
South Dakota Free Pulic Records Directory

Related Wiki Articles

 * South Dakota
 * South Dakota History
 * South Dakota Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"South Dakota, School Records, 1884-1938"  digital images, FamilySearch  (https://familysearch.org: accessed 10 February 2012).r Wilma Thomas, age 9; citing School Records, Tripp, District 0014 (1936-1937, Image 1; South Dakota School Historical Society, Pierre, South Dakota, United States.