Enrollment
76
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Castlewood, SD
Castlewood Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Castlewood Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 461128000954
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 85
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Castlewood Middle School - 03 earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of South Dakota schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Castlewood · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 9.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Castlewood Middle School - 03 has class sizes larger than 93% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Castlewood Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Castlewood, SD.
School address
District: Castlewood School District 28-1 · South Dakota
NCES ID 461128000954 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.3%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Castlewood Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Castlewood Middle School - 03
Castlewood Middle School - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Castlewood, South Dakota, enrolling 76 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19:1 is larger than about 93% of South Dakota schools and 40% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 9.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 76 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 128 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #52.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 76 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
10.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Castlewood School District 28-1 spends $9,844 per pupil, 27% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 23.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Castlewood School District 28-1 also operates Castlewood Elementary - 02 (140 students) and Castlewood High School - 01 (112 students) alongside Castlewood Middle School - 03.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Castlewood Middle School - 03 compares
Castlewood Middle School - 03 on the metrics families compare, against South Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Dakota | South Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▲ 40% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.3% | ▼ 68% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 76 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
76
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% below the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 40% above state mean
Top 93% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
10.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$9,844
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Dakota avg of $13,477
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 76 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 90.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
Two or More 2.6%
Largest group: White at 90.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.1, Castlewood Middle School - 03 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Castlewood School District 28-1, which includes Castlewood Middle School - 03.
$9,844
Per student
-27%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.4%
State 35.8%
Federal 23.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Castlewood Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castlewood Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Castlewood High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Claremont Colony Elementary - 04 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Castlewood Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 140
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 112
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 17
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~76 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Castlewood Middle School - 03's federal record.
- Compare Castlewood Middle School - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Castlewood School District 28-1's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Castlewood Middle School - 03
How many students attend Castlewood Middle School - 03?
Castlewood Middle School - 03 has 76 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Castlewood, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Castlewood Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Castlewood Middle School - 03 is 19:1, which is 40% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Castlewood Middle School - 03?
9.3% of students at Castlewood Middle School - 03 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Castlewood Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Castlewood Middle School - 03 is White at 90.8% of enrollment, in Castlewood, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Castlewood Middle School - 03?
Castlewood Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Castlewood Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in Castlewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Castlewood Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Castlewood, SD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Castlewood on the city page.
Is Castlewood Middle School - 03 a good school?
Castlewood Middle School - 03 earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of South Dakota schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Castlewood School District 28-1?
Besides Castlewood Middle School - 03, Castlewood School District 28-1 also operates Castlewood Elementary - 02 (140 students), Castlewood High School - 01 (112 students), and Claremont Colony Elementary - 04 (17 students). See the Castlewood School District 28-1 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.