Enrollment
345
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · North Sioux City, SD
Dakota Valley Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Dakota Valley Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 463699000809
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of South Dakota schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in North Sioux City · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.2:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 8.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Dakota Valley 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, Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in North Sioux City, SD.
School address
District: Dakota Valley School District 61-8 · South Dakota
NCES ID 463699000809 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.2%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dakota Valley Middle School - 03
Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in North Sioux City, South Dakota, enrolling 345 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.2:1 is larger than about 93% of South Dakota schools and 41% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.2% free-meal eligibility runs 72% below the South Dakota average.
Enrollment of 345 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 75 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #23.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 173 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Dakota Valley School District 61-8 spends $10,430 per pupil, 23% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Dakota Valley School District 61-8 also operates Dakota Valley High School - 01 (431 students) and Dakota Valley Elementary - 02 (386 students) alongside Dakota Valley 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 Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 compares
Dakota Valley 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 | 19.2:1 | ▲ 41% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.2% | ▼ 72% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 345 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
345
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% below the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 41% 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
9.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,430
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 173 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
26
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.2 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 74.5%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
Two or More 7.5%
Asian 3.5%
African American 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: White at 74.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.7, Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dakota Valley School District 61-8, which includes Dakota Valley Middle School - 03.
$10,430
Per student
-23%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.0%
State 23.8%
Federal 10.2%
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 Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota Valley High School - 01 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dakota Valley Elementary - 02 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dakota Valley Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 386
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 179
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
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 (~345 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dakota Valley Middle School - 03's federal record.
- Compare Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Dakota Valley School District 61-8'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 Dakota Valley Middle School - 03
How many students attend Dakota Valley Middle School - 03?
Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 has 345 students enrolled. It is a middle school in North Sioux City, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dakota Valley Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 is 19.2:1, which is 41% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dakota Valley Middle School - 03?
8.2% of students at Dakota Valley 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 Dakota Valley Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 is White at 74.5% of enrollment, in North Sioux City, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dakota Valley Middle School - 03?
Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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 Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in North Sioux City?
By Resource Investment Index, Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in North Sioux City, 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 North Sioux City on the city page.
Is Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 a good school?
Dakota Valley Middle School - 03 earns 48/100 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 Dakota Valley School District 61-8?
Besides Dakota Valley Middle School - 03, Dakota Valley School District 61-8 also operates Dakota Valley High School - 01 (431 students), Dakota Valley Elementary - 02 (386 students), and Dakota Valley Upper Elementary - 04 (179 students). See the Dakota Valley School District 61-8 district page for the complete list.
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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.