Enrollment
91
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · De Smet, SD
De Smet Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for De Smet Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 461785000993
👥 S:T ratio 9
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
De Smet Middle School - 03 earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of South Dakota schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in De Smet · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.8:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 19.5%
- free-lunch eligible
De Smet Middle School - 03 has class sizes larger than 97% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, De Smet Middle School - 03 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in De Smet, SD.
School address
District: De Smet School District 38-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 461785000993 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.8:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+68% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.5%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How De Smet Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at De Smet Middle School - 03
De Smet Middle School - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in De Smet, South Dakota, enrolling 91 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.8:1 is larger than about 97% of South Dakota schools and 68% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 19.5% lands close to the South Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 91 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 145 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #119, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 276 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
De Smet School District 38-2 also operates Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02 (176 students) and De Smet High School - 01 (95 students) alongside De Smet 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 De Smet Middle School - 03 compares
De Smet 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 | 22.8:1 | ▲ 68% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.5% | ▼ 32% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 91 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.8:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
91
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
22.8:1
students per teacher
- 68% above state mean
Top 97% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
6.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,298
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Dakota avg of $13,477
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 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 90.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
African American 2.2%
Two or More 2.2%
Largest group: White at 90.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.4, De Smet Middle School - 03 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for De Smet School District 38-2, which includes De Smet Middle School - 03.
$13,298
Per student
-1%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.6%
State 22.4%
Federal 14.0%
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 De Smet Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| De Smet High School - 01 | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to De Smet Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 176
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 95
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 (~91 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on De Smet Middle School - 03's federal record.
- Compare De Smet Middle School - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- De Smet School District 38-2'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 De Smet Middle School - 03
How many students attend De Smet Middle School - 03?
De Smet Middle School - 03 has 91 students enrolled. It is a middle school in De Smet, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at De Smet Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at De Smet Middle School - 03 is 22.8:1, which is 68% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at De Smet Middle School - 03?
19.5% of students at De Smet 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 De Smet Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at De Smet Middle School - 03 is White at 90.1% of enrollment, in De Smet, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for De Smet Middle School - 03?
De Smet Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 De Smet Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in De Smet?
By Resource Investment Index, De Smet Middle School - 03 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in De Smet, 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 De Smet on the city page.
Is De Smet Middle School - 03 a good school?
De Smet Middle School - 03 earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 De Smet School District 38-2?
Besides De Smet Middle School - 03, De Smet School District 38-2 also operates Laura Ingalls Wilder Elementary - 02 (176 students) and De Smet High School - 01 (95 students). See the De Smet School District 38-2 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.