Enrollment
56
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mellette, SD
Northwestern Middle School - 02
Federal NCES profile for Northwestern Middle School - 02, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 465175000924
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwestern Middle School - 02 earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Mellette · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 10.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwestern 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, Northwestern Middle School - 02 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Mellette, SD.
School address
District: Northwestern Area School District 56-7 · South Dakota
NCES ID 465175000924 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.2%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwestern Middle School - 02 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwestern Middle School - 02
Northwestern Middle School - 02 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Mellette, South Dakota, enrolling 56 students.
At 14:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Dakota median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 10.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 56 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Among 89 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #73, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 224 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Northwestern Area School District 56-7 also operates Northwestern Elementary - 04 (135 students) and Northwestern High School - 01 (91 students) alongside Northwestern 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 Northwestern Middle School - 02 compares
Northwestern 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 | 14:1 | ▲ 3% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.2% | ▼ 65% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 56 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
56
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% 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
14:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 58% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.2%
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
$11,684
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
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.
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 89.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.6%
Two or More 1.8%
Largest group: White at 89.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.8, Northwestern Middle School - 02 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northwestern Area School District 56-7, which includes Northwestern Middle School - 02.
$11,684
Per student
-13%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 70.2%
State 16.5%
Federal 13.3%
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 Northwestern Middle School - 02 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Elementary - 04 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwestern High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Isucceed - 92 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hutterville Colony Elementary - 06 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwestern Middle School - 02's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 135
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 91
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 82
- Students per teacher
- 82:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 16
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 68/100
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 (~56 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwestern Middle School - 02's federal record.
- Compare Northwestern Middle School - 02 against another school. Compare schools
- Northwestern Area School District 56-7'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 Northwestern Middle School - 02
How many students attend Northwestern Middle School - 02?
Northwestern Middle School - 02 has 56 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mellette, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwestern Middle School - 02?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwestern Middle School - 02 is 14:1, which is 3% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northwestern Middle School - 02?
10.2% of students at Northwestern 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 Northwestern Middle School - 02?
The largest demographic group at Northwestern Middle School - 02 is White at 89.3% of enrollment, in Mellette, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwestern Middle School - 02?
Northwestern Middle School - 02 has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Northwestern Middle School - 02 rank among public schools in Mellette?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwestern Middle School - 02 ranks #2 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. See all public schools in Mellette on the city page.
Is Northwestern Middle School - 02 a good school?
Northwestern Middle School - 02 earns 43/100 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 Northwestern Area School District 56-7?
Besides Northwestern Middle School - 02, Northwestern Area School District 56-7 also operates Northwestern Elementary - 04 (135 students), Northwestern High School - 01 (91 students), and Isucceed - 92 (82 students). See the Northwestern Area School District 56-7 district page for the complete list.
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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.