Enrollment
57
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Murdo, SD
Jones County Middle School - 04
Federal NCES profile for Jones County Middle School - 04, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 461958000955
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 77
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jones County Middle School - 04 earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Murdo · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 37.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Jones County Middle School - 04 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jones County Middle School - 04 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Murdo, SD.
School address
District: Jones County School District 37-3 · South Dakota
NCES ID 461958000955 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.0%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jones County Middle School - 04 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jones County Middle School - 04
Jones County Middle School - 04 is a mid-sized elementary school in Murdo, South Dakota, enrolling 57 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the larger third of South Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 37.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 57 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 38 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #20.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Two or More (14%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 114 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 24.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Murdo's elementary schools, it stands alongside Jones County Elementary - 02 (74 students): Jones County Middle School - 04 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.3:1 vs 10.6:1).
Jones County School District 37-3 also operates Jones County Elementary - 02 (74 students) and Jones County High School - 01 (49 students) alongside Jones County Middle School - 04.
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 Jones County Middle School - 04 compares
Jones County Middle School - 04 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 | 14.3:1 | ▲ 5% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.0% | ▲ 28% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 57 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
57
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% above 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 62% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.1%
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
$15,273
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors0.5 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 78.9%
Two or More 14.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%
Largest group: White at 78.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.5, Jones County Middle School - 04 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jones County School District 37-3, which includes Jones County Middle School - 04.
$15,273
Per student
+13%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.4%
State 25.2%
Federal 24.3%
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 Jones County Middle School - 04 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jones County Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jones County High School - 01 | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jones County Middle School - 04's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 74
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 49
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Murdo
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~57 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jones County Middle School - 04's federal record.
- Compare Jones County Middle School - 04 against another school. Compare schools
- Jones County School District 37-3'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 Jones County Middle School - 04
How many students attend Jones County Middle School - 04?
Jones County Middle School - 04 has 57 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Murdo, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jones County Middle School - 04?
The student-teacher ratio at Jones County Middle School - 04 is 14.3:1, which is 5% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jones County Middle School - 04?
37.0% of students at Jones County Middle School - 04 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jones County Middle School - 04?
The largest demographic group at Jones County Middle School - 04 is White at 78.9% of enrollment, in Murdo, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jones County Middle School - 04?
Jones County Middle School - 04 has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Jones County Middle School - 04 rank among public schools in Murdo?
By Resource Investment Index, Jones County Middle School - 04 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Murdo, 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 Murdo on the city page.
Is Jones County Middle School - 04 a good school?
Jones County Middle School - 04 earns 49/100 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 Jones County School District 37-3?
Besides Jones County Middle School - 04, Jones County School District 37-3 also operates Jones County Elementary - 02 (74 students) and Jones County High School - 01 (49 students). See the Jones County School District 37-3 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.