Enrollment
578
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mitchell, SD
Mitchell Middle School - 02
Federal NCES profile for Mitchell Middle School - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 464839000437
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mitchell Middle School - 02 earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #8 of 10
- public schools in Mitchell · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 28.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Mitchell Middle School - 02 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mitchell Middle School - 02 ranks #8 of 10 public schools in Mitchell, SD.
School address
District: Mitchell School District 17-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 464839000437 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.7%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mitchell Middle School - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mitchell Middle School - 02
Mitchell Middle School - 02 is a large middle school in Mitchell, South Dakota, enrolling 578 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 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 28.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Dakota, bigger than 93% of state schools at 578 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 691 South Dakota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 52 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #47, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 578 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Mitchell School District 17-2 spends $10,109 per pupil, 25% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Mitchell School District 17-2 also operates Mitchell High School - 01 (879 students) and L. B. Williams Elementary - 03 (438 students) alongside Mitchell Middle School - 02.
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 Mitchell Middle School - 02 compares
Mitchell Middle School - 02 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 | 14.8:1 | ▲ 9% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.7% | ▼ 0% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 578 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
578
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 67% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.6%
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
$10,109
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 578 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
62
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.3 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 77.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.4%
Two or More 3.3%
African American 0.2%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 77.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.7, Mitchell Middle School - 02 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mitchell School District 17-2, which includes Mitchell Middle School - 02.
$10,109
Per student
-25%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.0%
State 39.1%
Federal 14.8%
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 Mitchell Middle School - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| L. B. Williams Elementary - 03 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary - 04 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Longfellow Elementary - 05 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rosedale Colony Elementary - 11 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mitchell Middle School - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 879
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 379
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 290
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 21
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
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 (~578 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mitchell Middle School - 02's federal record.
- Compare Mitchell Middle School - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Mitchell School District 17-2'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 Mitchell Middle School - 02
How many students attend Mitchell Middle School - 02?
Mitchell Middle School - 02 has 578 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mitchell, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mitchell Middle School - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Mitchell Middle School - 02 is 14.8:1, which is 9% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mitchell Middle School - 02?
28.7% of students at Mitchell Middle School - 02 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mitchell Middle School - 02?
The largest demographic group at Mitchell Middle School - 02 is White at 77.7% of enrollment, in Mitchell, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mitchell Middle School - 02?
Mitchell Middle School - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Mitchell Middle School - 02 rank among public schools in Mitchell?
By Resource Investment Index, Mitchell Middle School - 02 ranks #8 of 10 public schools in Mitchell, 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 Mitchell on the city page.
Is Mitchell Middle School - 02 a good school?
Mitchell Middle School - 02 earns 27/100 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 Mitchell School District 17-2?
Besides Mitchell Middle School - 02, Mitchell School District 17-2 also operates Mitchell High School - 01 (879 students), L. B. Williams Elementary - 03 (438 students), and Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary - 04 (379 students). See the Mitchell School District 17-2 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.