Enrollment
84
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Salem, SD
Mccook Central Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Mccook Central Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 460102601034
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 83
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mccook Central Middle School - 03 earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Salem · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12:1
- students per teacher
- 12.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Mccook Central 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, Mccook Central Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Salem, SD.
School address
District: Mccook Central School District 43-7 · South Dakota
NCES ID 460102601034 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
12.5%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mccook Central Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mccook Central Middle School - 03
Mccook Central Middle School - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Salem, South Dakota, enrolling 84 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12:1 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 12.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 84 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 143 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #80.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 84 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Salem's elementary schools, it stands alongside Goldenview Colony School - 04 (28 students): Mccook Central Middle School - 03 is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12:1 vs 28:1).
Mccook Central School District 43-7 also operates Mccook Central Elementary - 02 (225 students) and Mccook Central High School - 01 (118 students) alongside Mccook Central 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 Mccook Central Middle School - 03 compares
Mccook Central 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 12% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.5% | ▼ 57% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 84 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
84
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
12.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% 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
12:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 37% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.2%
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
$11,993
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 84 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.0 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 90.5%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
Two or More 4.8%
Largest group: White at 90.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.6, Mccook Central Middle School - 03 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mccook Central School District 43-7, which includes Mccook Central Middle School - 03.
$11,993
Per student
-11%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.5%
State 30.5%
Federal 15.1%
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 Mccook Central Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mccook Central Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mccook Central High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goldenview Colony School - 04 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mccook Central Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 225
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 118
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 28
- Students per teacher
- 28:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Salem
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 (~84 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mccook Central Middle School - 03's federal record.
- Compare Mccook Central Middle School - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Mccook Central School District 43-7'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 Mccook Central Middle School - 03
How many students attend Mccook Central Middle School - 03?
Mccook Central Middle School - 03 has 84 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Salem, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mccook Central Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Mccook Central Middle School - 03 is 12:1, which is 12% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 24% 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 Mccook Central Middle School - 03?
12.5% of students at Mccook Central 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 Mccook Central Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Mccook Central Middle School - 03 is White at 90.5% of enrollment, in Salem, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mccook Central Middle School - 03?
Mccook Central 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 Mccook Central Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in Salem?
By Resource Investment Index, Mccook Central Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Salem, 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 Salem on the city page.
Is Mccook Central Middle School - 03 a good school?
Mccook Central Middle School - 03 earns 50/100 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 Mccook Central School District 43-7?
Besides Mccook Central Middle School - 03, Mccook Central School District 43-7 also operates Mccook Central Elementary - 02 (225 students), Mccook Central High School - 01 (118 students), and Goldenview Colony School - 04 (28 students). See the Mccook Central School District 43-7 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.