Enrollment
633
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Box Elder, SD
Douglas Middle School - 01
Federal NCES profile for Douglas Middle School - 01, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 461941000176
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Douglas Middle School - 01 earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of South Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Box Elder · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.4:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 21.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Douglas Middle School - 01 has class sizes larger than 72% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Douglas Middle School - 01 ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Box Elder, SD.
School address
District: Douglas School District 51-1 · South Dakota
NCES ID 461941000176 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.6%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Douglas Middle School - 01 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Douglas Middle School - 01
Douglas Middle School - 01 is a large middle school in Box Elder, South Dakota, enrolling 633 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 21.6% lands close to the South Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Dakota, bigger than 94% of state schools at 633 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 67 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #54, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Two or More (13%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 317 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 31.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 218 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 633 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Douglas School District 51-1 also operates Patriot Elementary -06 (982 students) and Douglas High School - 03 (739 students) alongside Douglas Middle School - 01.
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 Douglas Middle School - 01 compares
Douglas Middle School - 01 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 13% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.6% | ▼ 25% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 633 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
633
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 72% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,366
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 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
129
in-school suspensions + 89 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 34.4 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 64.8%
Two or More 13.0%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.4%
African American 1.7%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 64.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.2, Douglas Middle School - 01 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Douglas School District 51-1, which includes Douglas Middle School - 01.
$12,366
Per student
-8%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.1%
State 47.1%
Federal 31.8%
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 Douglas Middle School - 01 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patriot Elementary -06 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Douglas High School - 03 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vandenberg Elementary - 02 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Douglas Middle School - 01's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 982
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 739
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
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 (~633 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Douglas Middle School - 01's federal record.
- Compare Douglas Middle School - 01 against another school. Compare schools
- Douglas School District 51-1'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 Douglas Middle School - 01
How many students attend Douglas Middle School - 01?
Douglas Middle School - 01 has 633 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Box Elder, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Douglas Middle School - 01?
The student-teacher ratio at Douglas Middle School - 01 is 15.4:1, which is 13% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Douglas Middle School - 01?
21.6% of students at Douglas Middle School - 01 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Douglas Middle School - 01?
The largest demographic group at Douglas Middle School - 01 is White at 64.8% of enrollment, in Box Elder, SD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Douglas Middle School - 01?
Douglas Middle School - 01 has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Douglas Middle School - 01 rank among public schools in Box Elder?
By Resource Investment Index, Douglas Middle School - 01 ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Box Elder, 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 Box Elder on the city page.
Is Douglas Middle School - 01 a good school?
Douglas Middle School - 01 earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of South Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Douglas School District 51-1?
Besides Douglas Middle School - 01, Douglas School District 51-1 also operates Patriot Elementary -06 (982 students), Douglas High School - 03 (739 students), and Vandenberg Elementary - 02 (454 students). See the Douglas School District 51-1 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.