Enrollment
72
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Clark, SD
Clark Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Clark Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 461294000890
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 86
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clark Middle School - 03 earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Clark · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12:1
- students per teacher
- 14.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Clark Middle School - 03 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clark Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Clark, SD.
School address
District: Clark School District 12-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 461294000890 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.9%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clark Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clark Middle School - 03
Clark Middle School - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Clark, South Dakota, enrolling 72 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 14.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 72 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 130 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #24.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 72 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
13.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Clark School District 12-2 also operates Clark Elementary - 02 (212 students) and Clark High School - 01 (124 students) alongside Clark 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 Clark Middle School - 03 compares
Clark 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 12% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.9% | ▼ 48% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 72 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
72
Bigger than 7% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
12:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 37% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
13.9%
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
$11,435
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 72 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.6 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 84.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
Two or More 6.9%
African American 1.4%
Largest group: White at 84.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.3, Clark Middle School - 03 is about as mixed as the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clark School District 12-2, which includes Clark Middle School - 03.
$11,435
Per student
-15%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.0%
State 24.9%
Federal 11.0%
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 Clark Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clark High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fordham Colony Elementary - 04 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest Colony Elementary - 05 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Silver Lake Colony - 07 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clark Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 212
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 124
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 42
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 31
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 16
- Students per teacher
- 5.3:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~72 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clark Middle School - 03's federal record.
- Compare Clark Middle School - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Clark School District 12-2'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 Clark Middle School - 03
How many students attend Clark Middle School - 03?
Clark Middle School - 03 has 72 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Clark, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clark Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Clark Middle School - 03 is 12:1, which is 12% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 24% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Clark Middle School - 03?
14.9% of students at Clark 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 Clark Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Clark Middle School - 03 is White at 84.7% of enrollment, in Clark, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clark Middle School - 03?
Clark Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (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 Clark Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in Clark?
By Resource Investment Index, Clark Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Clark, 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 Clark on the city page.
Is Clark Middle School - 03 a good school?
Clark Middle School - 03 earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median. 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 Clark School District 12-2?
Besides Clark Middle School - 03, Clark School District 12-2 also operates Clark Elementary - 02 (212 students), Clark High School - 01 (124 students), and Fordham Colony Elementary - 04 (42 students). See the Clark School District 12-2 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.