- Enrollment
- 135
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
High school (grades 9-12) · Mellette, SD
Northwestern High School - 01
Federal NCES profile for Northwestern High School - 01, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 465175000475
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwestern High School - 01 earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Mellette · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 12.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwestern High School - 01 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwestern High School - 01 ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Mellette, SD.
School address
District: Northwestern Area School District 56-7 · South Dakota
NCES ID 465175000475 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
+0 students YoY
Northwestern High School - 01 held near 88 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+0 headcount).
Teacher FTE held 7.2 → 7.2 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Steady CCD campus
+0 students YoY 465175000475 · Mellette, SD High · SMALL · TRAD
91 enr · 13:1 · 12.5% lunch · RII 35
Nearest enrollment peer: Northwestern Elementary - 04 (135 students)
Northwestern High School - 01 held near 88 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+0 headcount). Teacher FTE held 7.2 → 7.2 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · South Dakota schools → · Find another →
Northwestern High School - 01 in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Northwestern E
Northwestern Elementary - 04
135 students
- This school
Northwestern High School - 01
91 students
- Isucceed - 92
Isucceed - 92
82 students
- Northwestern M
Northwestern Middle School - 02
56 students
- Hutterville Co 16
Hutterville Colony Elementary - 06
16 students
What this shows Northwestern High School - 01 reports 91 students on the CCD universe file.
How Northwestern High School - 01 compares
Northwestern High School - 01 held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs South Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Dakota | South Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 4% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 12.5% | ▼ 57% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 91 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
91
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators methodology
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
13:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 47% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.4%
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
$12,473
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Dakota avg of $13,985
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 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.
Student demographics
White 95.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
African American 1.1%
Two or More 1.1%
Largest group: White at 95.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.5, Northwestern High School - 01 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
District finance for Northwestern Area School District 56-7 reports $12,473 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Northwestern High School - 01 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Elementary - 04 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Isucceed - 92 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwestern Middle School - 02 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hutterville Colony Elementary - 06 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwestern High School - 01's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 82
- Students per teacher
- 82:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 56
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 16
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 68/100
Similar high schools in Mellette
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Nationwide high 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 (~91 students)
Frequently asked questions about Northwestern High School - 01
How many students attend Northwestern High School - 01?
Northwestern High School - 01 has 91 students enrolled. It is a high school in Mellette, SD. CCD year-over-year: 88 (2022-23) → 88 (2023-24), nearly flat (+0).
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwestern High School - 01?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwestern High School - 01 is 13:1, which is 4% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 17% 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 Northwestern High School - 01?
12.5% of students at Northwestern High School - 01 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwestern High School - 01?
The largest demographic group at Northwestern High School - 01 is White at 95.6% of enrollment, in Mellette, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwestern High School - 01?
Northwestern High School - 01 has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical 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 Northwestern High School - 01 rank among public schools in Mellette?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwestern High School - 01 ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Mellette, 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 Northwestern Area School District 56-7?
Besides Northwestern High School - 01, Northwestern Area School District 56-7 also operates Northwestern Elementary - 04 (135 students), Isucceed - 92 (82 students), and Northwestern Middle School - 02 (56 students). See the Northwestern Area School District 56-7 district page for the complete list.