Enrollment
34
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Highmore, SD
Highmore Jr. High - 03
Federal NCES profile for Highmore Jr. High - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 468044001049
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 93
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Highmore Jr. High - 03 earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of South Dakota schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Highmore · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 14.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Highmore Jr. High - 03 has class sizes larger than 85% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Highmore Jr. High - 03 ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Highmore, SD.
School address
District: Highmore-Harrold 34-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 468044001049 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.3%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Highmore Jr. High - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Highmore Jr. High - 03
Highmore Jr. High - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Highmore, South Dakota, enrolling 34 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 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 14.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 34 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 39 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #19.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (12%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 34 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 20.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Highmore-Harrold 34-2 also operates Highmore Elementary - 02 (133 students) and Highmore High School - 01 (62 students) alongside Highmore Jr. High - 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 Highmore Jr. High - 03 compares
Highmore Jr. High - 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 25% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.3% | ▼ 50% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 34 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
34
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
17:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 85% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.6%
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
$12,967
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 34 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 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 73.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 2.9%
Largest group: White at 73.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.8, Highmore Jr. High - 03 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Highmore-Harrold 34-2, which includes Highmore Jr. High - 03.
$12,967
Per student
-4%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 65.9%
State 13.9%
Federal 20.2%
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 Highmore Jr. High - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highmore Elementary - 02 | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Highmore High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Highmore Jr. High - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 133
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 62
- Students per teacher
- 7.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
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 (~34 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Highmore Jr. High - 03's federal record.
- Compare Highmore Jr. High - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Highmore-Harrold 34-2'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 Highmore Jr. High - 03
How many students attend Highmore Jr. High - 03?
Highmore Jr. High - 03 has 34 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Highmore, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Highmore Jr. High - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Highmore Jr. High - 03 is 17:1, which is 25% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Highmore Jr. High - 03?
14.3% of students at Highmore Jr. High - 03 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Highmore Jr. High - 03?
The largest demographic group at Highmore Jr. High - 03 is White at 73.5% of enrollment, in Highmore, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Highmore Jr. High - 03?
Highmore Jr. High - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Highmore Jr. High - 03 rank among public schools in Highmore?
By Resource Investment Index, Highmore Jr. High - 03 ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Highmore, 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 Highmore on the city page.
Is Highmore Jr. High - 03 a good school?
Highmore Jr. High - 03 earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Highmore-Harrold 34-2?
Besides Highmore Jr. High - 03, Highmore-Harrold 34-2 also operates Highmore Elementary - 02 (133 students) and Highmore High School - 01 (62 students). See the Highmore-Harrold 34-2 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.