- Enrollment
- 96
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lake Preston, SD
Lake Preston Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Lake Preston Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 463999000918
👥 S:T ratio 67
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 93
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lake Preston Middle School - 03 earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of South Dakota schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Lake Preston · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.3:1
- small classes for South Dakota
- 38.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Lake Preston Middle School - 03 has class sizes smaller than 87% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Preston Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Lake Preston, SD.
School address
District: Lake Preston School District 38-3 · South Dakota
NCES ID 463999000918 Verify on NCES CCD record →
NCES CCD universe card
School universe 463999000918 · Lake Preston, SD Middle · SMALL · TRAD
33 enr · 8.3:1 · 38.9% lunch · RII 61
Nearest enrollment peer: Lake Preston Elementary - 02 (96 students)
Resource Investment Index #1 of 3 public schools in Lake Preston. NCES Common Core of Data stamps for this campus. Read with this school → · District book → · South Dakota schools → · Find another →
Lake Preston Middle School - 03 in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Lake Preston E
Lake Preston Elementary - 02
96 students
- Lake Preston H
Lake Preston High School - 01
41 students
- This school 33
Lake Preston Middle School - 03
33 students
What this shows Lake Preston Middle School - 03 reports 33 students on the CCD universe file.
How Lake Preston Middle School - 03 compares
Lake Preston 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 | 8.3:1 | ▼ 39% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.9% | ▲ 35% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 33 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.3:1
Leaner classes than 94% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
33
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
8.3:1
students per teacher
- 39% below state mean
Top 13% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$17,235
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Dakota avg of $13,985
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 33 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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.
Student demographics
White 87.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
Two or More 6.1%
Largest group: White at 87.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.0, Lake Preston Middle School - 03 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Preston School District 38-3, which includes Lake Preston Middle School - 03.
$17,235
Per student
+23%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,985
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $17,658
Revenue mix
Local 70.5%
State 20.8%
Federal 8.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2022-23 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Lake Preston Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Preston Elementary - 02 | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Preston High School - 01 | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lake Preston Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 41
- Students per teacher
- 6.8:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Nationwide middle schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~33 students)
Frequently asked questions about Lake Preston Middle School - 03
How many students attend Lake Preston Middle School - 03?
Lake Preston Middle School - 03 has 33 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lake Preston, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lake Preston Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Lake Preston Middle School - 03 is 8.3:1, which is 39% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 47% 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 Lake Preston Middle School - 03?
38.9% of students at Lake Preston 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 Lake Preston Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Lake Preston Middle School - 03 is White at 87.9% of enrollment, in Lake Preston, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lake Preston Middle School - 03?
Lake Preston Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lake Preston Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in Lake Preston?
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Preston Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Lake Preston, SD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking.
What other schools are in Lake Preston School District 38-3?
Besides Lake Preston Middle School - 03, Lake Preston School District 38-3 also operates Lake Preston Elementary - 02 (96 students) and Lake Preston High School - 01 (41 students). See the Lake Preston School District 38-3 district page for the complete list.
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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.