Enrollment
60
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Estelline, SD
Estelline Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Estelline Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 462241001045
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Estelline Middle School - 03 earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Estelline · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 12.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Estelline 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, Estelline Middle School - 03 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Estelline, SD.
School address
District: Estelline School District 28-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 462241001045 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.9%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Estelline Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Estelline Middle School - 03
Estelline Middle School - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Estelline, South Dakota, enrolling 60 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 12.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 60 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 101 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #85, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 261 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Estelline School District 28-2 also operates Estelline Elementary - 02 (149 students) and Estelline High School - 01 (83 students) alongside Estelline 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 Estelline Middle School - 03 compares
Estelline 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 | 15:1 | ▲ 10% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.9% | ▼ 55% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 60 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
60
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
15:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 69% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.7%
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
$13,448
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
Counselors0.2 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 80.0%
Hispanic or Latino 15.0%
Two or More 5.0%
Largest group: White at 80.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.5, Estelline Middle School - 03 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Estelline School District 28-2, which includes Estelline Middle School - 03.
$13,448
Per student
0%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.4%
State 18.2%
Federal 19.4%
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 Estelline Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estelline Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Estelline High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Estelline Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 149
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 83
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~60 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Estelline Middle School - 03's federal record.
- Compare Estelline Middle School - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Estelline School District 28-2'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 Estelline Middle School - 03
How many students attend Estelline Middle School - 03?
Estelline Middle School - 03 has 60 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Estelline, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Estelline Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Estelline Middle School - 03 is 15:1, which is 10% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Estelline Middle School - 03?
12.9% of students at Estelline 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 Estelline Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Estelline Middle School - 03 is White at 80.0% of enrollment, in Estelline, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Estelline Middle School - 03?
Estelline Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Estelline Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in Estelline?
By Resource Investment Index, Estelline Middle School - 03 ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Estelline, 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 Estelline on the city page.
Is Estelline Middle School - 03 a good school?
Estelline Middle School - 03 earns 41/100 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 Estelline School District 28-2?
Besides Estelline Middle School - 03, Estelline School District 28-2 also operates Estelline Elementary - 02 (149 students) and Estelline High School - 01 (83 students). See the Estelline School District 28-2 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.