Enrollment
85
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mclaughlin, SD
Mclaughlin Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Mclaughlin Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 464638000922
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of South Dakota schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Mclaughlin · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.4:1
- small classes for South Dakota
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mclaughlin 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, Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Mclaughlin, SD.
School address
District: Mclaughlin School District 15-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 464638000922 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.4:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+247% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mclaughlin Middle School - 03
Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Mclaughlin, South Dakota, enrolling 85 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 is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 247% above the South Dakota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 85 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 16 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #10.
Its student body is predominantly American Indian / Alaska Native (98% of enrollment) (diversity index 5/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 170 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Mclaughlin School District 15-2 spends $20,507 per pupil, 52% above the South Dakota average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 61.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 36 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 85 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Mclaughlin School District 15-2 also operates Mclaughlin Elementary - 02 (203 students) and Mclaughlin High School - 01 (155 students) alongside Mclaughlin 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 Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 compares
Mclaughlin 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 | 100.0% | ▲ 247% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 85 | top 56% | - | - |
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.
85
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 247% above the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
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
44.7%
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
$20,507
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Dakota avg of $13,477
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 28.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 42.4 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
American Indian / Alaska Native 97.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.2%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 97.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 4.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 4.7, Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mclaughlin School District 15-2, which includes Mclaughlin Middle School - 03.
$20,507
Per student
+52%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
+24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.5%
State 24.8%
Federal 61.7%
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 Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mclaughlin Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mclaughlin High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mclaughlin Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 203
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 155
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- 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 (~85 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mclaughlin Middle School - 03's federal record.
- Compare Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Mclaughlin School District 15-2'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 Mclaughlin Middle School - 03
How many students attend Mclaughlin Middle School - 03?
Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 has 85 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mclaughlin, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mclaughlin Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Mclaughlin 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 Mclaughlin Middle School - 03?
100.0% of students at Mclaughlin 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 Mclaughlin Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 is American Indian / Alaska Native at 97.6% of enrollment, in Mclaughlin, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mclaughlin Middle School - 03?
Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical 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 Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in Mclaughlin?
By Resource Investment Index, Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Mclaughlin, 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 Mclaughlin on the city page.
Is Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 a good school?
Mclaughlin Middle School - 03 earns 40/100 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 Mclaughlin School District 15-2?
Besides Mclaughlin Middle School - 03, Mclaughlin School District 15-2 also operates Mclaughlin Elementary - 02 (203 students) and Mclaughlin High School - 01 (155 students). See the Mclaughlin School District 15-2 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.