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Therapeutic & Alternative Boarding Schools In South Dakota

Alternative and therapeutic boarding schools are designed to remove an at-risk teen from the home and place them in a heavily supervised atmosphere where they can get professional help for physical, emotional and academic challenges they face. HelpYourTeenNow is a parent advocate group organized to help people like you in getting answers to questions about selection, enrollment and cost. During our free phone consultation, we’ll take as much time as you want to assess your family situation and make recommendations based on our vast network of resources. As parents and professionals, we at HelpYourTeenNow understand what you are going through and we’ve got lots of idea on how to help your teenager.

South Dakota Regulatory Laws

The South Dakota Department of Social Services Child Protection Services licenses residential facilities in the state and regulates the agencies to ensure they maintain basic standards of care and safety.

Accreditation is optional for South Dakota private schools, but if a school should choose to become accredited, it must meet the eligibility standards set by the South Dakota Department of Education (S.D. Codified Laws §13-3-47). Teachers in non-accredited private schools do not need certification but class size must be 22 students or fewer (S.D. Codified Laws §13-27-3). Teachers in accredited schools must meet the South Dakota Board of Education standards (S.D. Codified Laws §13-1-12.1). Private school curriculums must provide basic courses as outlined by the state, and must meet state academic standards (S.D. Codified Laws §13-3-48). Students must take a nationally standardized achievement test annually (S.D. Codified Laws §13-27-3).

Reference: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf

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Step 1 of 3 - Your Contact Info

South Dakota Regulatory Laws

The South Dakota Department of Social Services Child Protection Services licenses residential facilities in the state and regulates the agencies to ensure they maintain basic standards of care and safety.

Accreditation is optional for South Dakota private schools, but if a school should choose to become accredited, it must meet the eligibility standards set by the South Dakota Department of Education (S.D. Codified Laws §13-3-47). Teachers in non-accredited private schools do not need certification but class size must be 22 students or fewer (S.D. Codified Laws §13-27-3). Teachers in accredited schools must meet the South Dakota Board of Education standards (S.D. Codified Laws §13-1-12.1). Private school curriculums must provide basic courses as outlined by the state, and must meet state academic standards (S.D. Codified Laws §13-3-48). Students must take a nationally standardized achievement test annually (S.D. Codified Laws §13-27-3).

Reference: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf

Statistics for At-Risk South Dakota Teens

ADD/ADHD

  • 6.7%

6.7 percent of children in South Dakota, aged 3–17 years have been diagnosed with ADHD. (National Survey of Children’s Health, 2016–2019).

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9489617/

TEEN PREGNANCY 

  • 19.3%

The teen pregnancy rate for adolescents aged 15 to 19 in South Dakota is 19.3 per 1,000 females in this age group, according to the World Population Review.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/teen-pregnancy-rates-by-state

TEEN SUICIDE

  • 33.7%

South Dakota ranks 46th with a suicide rate of 33.7 deaths per 100,000 adolescents aged 15 to 19, according to data from the CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death Files (2020–2022).

https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/teen_suicide/SD

DRUG USE

  • 7.09%

In 2020, approximately 788,000 teenagers aged 12 to 17 nationwide met the criteria for Illicit Drug Use Disorder (IDUD). In South Dakota, about 7.09% of adolescents in this age group reported using illicit drugs, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics.

https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/#south-dakota

ALCOHOL USE

  • 8.51%

Approximately 8.51% of teens in South Dakota suffer from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 2020).

https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/#south-dakota

TEEN VAPING

  • 23.9%

South Dakota ranks 22nd among all states, with 23.9% of high school teens reported to have used vapes. (Drug Watch, 2024).

https://www.drugwatch.com/e-cigarettes/vape-stat-by-state/

TEEN PORNOGRAPHY

  • 57%

The porn industry experienced a 12.6% annual revenue increase from 2018 to 2023. Adolescent exposure to pornography has steadily risen, with the age of first exposure becoming increasingly younger. 57% of young adults ages 18-25 use porn monthly or more often.

https://www.addictionhelp.com/porn/statistics/

TEEN BULLYING

  • 46%

According to Pew Research Center, 46% of U.S. teens aged 13 to 17 have experienced at least one of six types of cyberbullying behaviors. (Pew Research Center, 2022).

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/12/15/teens-and-cyberbullying-2022/

 

Summary

We Can Help!

Sometimes, it comes down to the fact that as a parent, you’ve done everything you can do to get through to your at-risk teen. When nothing works, consider alternative and therapeutic boarding school. HelpYourTeenNow can guide you in choosing reputable programs over questionable ones, and teach you what you need to know to start the process of changing your teen’s life for the better. When you call HelpYourTeenNow for a free consultation, you’re getting experienced advice from people who have experienced exactly what you are facing now. We can help because we understand.