Enrollment
519
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Harrisburg, SD
Harrisburg South Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Harrisburg South Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 463135000847
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of South Dakota schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Harrisburg · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.4:1
- small classes for South Dakota
- 9.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 has class sizes smaller than 83% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Harrisburg, SD.
School address
District: Harrisburg School District 41-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 463135000847 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.4:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.4%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harrisburg South Middle School - 03
Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Harrisburg, South Dakota, enrolling 519 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.4:1 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 9.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Dakota, bigger than 91% of state schools at 519 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 68 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #7, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 519 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Harrisburg School District 41-2 spends $10,402 per pupil, 23% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 124 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 519 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Harrisburg School District 41-2 also operates Harrisburg High School - 01 (1,806 students) and Liberty Elementary - 02 (559 students) alongside Harrisburg South 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 Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 compares
Harrisburg South 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 | 9.4:1 | ▼ 31% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.4% | ▼ 67% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 519 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.4:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
519
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% 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
9.4:1
students per teacher
- 31% below state mean
Top 17% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.5%
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
$10,402
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 519 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
107
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.9 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 86.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
Two or More 5.4%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 86.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.2, Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harrisburg School District 41-2, which includes Harrisburg South Middle School - 03.
$10,402
Per student
-23%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.8%
State 31.7%
Federal 9.5%
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 Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Elementary - 02 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harrisburg North Middle School - 08 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Horizon Elementary - 09 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Freedom Elementary - 06 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harrisburg South Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,806
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 9.1:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 458
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 442
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~519 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harrisburg South Middle School - 03's federal record.
- Compare Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Harrisburg School District 41-2'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 Harrisburg South Middle School - 03
How many students attend Harrisburg South Middle School - 03?
Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 has 519 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Harrisburg, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harrisburg South Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 is 9.4:1, which is 31% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 40% 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 Harrisburg South Middle School - 03?
9.4% of students at Harrisburg South 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 Harrisburg South Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 is White at 86.1% of enrollment, in Harrisburg, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harrisburg South Middle School - 03?
Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in Harrisburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Harrisburg, 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 Harrisburg on the city page.
Is Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 a good school?
Harrisburg South Middle School - 03 earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Harrisburg School District 41-2?
Besides Harrisburg South Middle School - 03, Harrisburg School District 41-2 also operates Harrisburg High School - 01 (1,806 students), Liberty Elementary - 02 (559 students), and Harrisburg North Middle School - 08 (534 students). See the Harrisburg School District 41-2 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.