According to the latest National Children’s Health Survey nearly half of South Dakota children under age 5 are not ready for school, with only 58.4% of parents reporting their 3‑ to 5‑year‑olds are prepared leaving the state the fourth‑lowest nationwide and last among Great Plains states.
Darbi Hunt of Black Hills Special Services says early development is critical, and notes several reasons many children arrive at school unprepared including limited pre‑K options, no state‑funded preschool, and the fact that over 70% of South Dakota families have both parents working, reducing time for early learning at home.
Poverty also plays a role, especially in reservation counties like Oglala Lakota, Todd, and Mellette, where child readiness lags.
On the Pine Ridge Reservation, Head Start director Lislie Mesteth says many preschool programs function more as babysitting than education. She has implemented new curricula, teacher training, and the ReadyRosie learning program. Mesteth says those changes are beginning to improve school readiness.
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