Enrollment
49
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Plankinton, SD
Plankinton Jr. High - 03
Federal NCES profile for Plankinton Jr. High - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 465571000927
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 90
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Plankinton Jr. High - 03 earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of South Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Plankinton · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.5:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 11.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Plankinton Jr. High - 03 has class sizes larger than 98% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Plankinton Jr. High - 03 ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Plankinton, SD.
School address
District: Plankinton School District 01-1 · South Dakota
NCES ID 465571000927 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.5:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+80% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.8%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Plankinton Jr. High - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Plankinton Jr. High - 03
Plankinton Jr. High - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Plankinton, South Dakota, enrolling 49 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.5:1 is larger than about 98% of South Dakota schools and 80% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 11.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 49 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.
Against 71 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #48.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 49 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Plankinton School District 01-1 also operates Plankinton Elementary - 02 (132 students) and Plankinton High School - 01 (86 students) alongside Plankinton Jr. High - 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 Plankinton Jr. High - 03 compares
Plankinton Jr. High - 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 | 24.5:1 | ▲ 80% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.8% | ▼ 59% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 49 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.5:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
49
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
24.5:1
students per teacher
- 80% above state mean
Top 98% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
14.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,418
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Dakota avg of $13,477
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 49 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 61.2%
Hispanic or Latino 32.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.1%
African American 2.0%
Largest group: White at 61.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.6, Plankinton Jr. High - 03 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Plankinton School District 01-1, which includes Plankinton Jr. High - 03.
$13,418
Per student
0%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.1%
State 42.4%
Federal 8.5%
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 Plankinton Jr. High - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plankinton Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Plankinton High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aurora Plains Academy High School - 05 | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aurora Plains Academy Middle School - 04 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dakota Reach - 06 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Plankinton Jr. High - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 132
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 86
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 10
- Students per teacher
- 3.3:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 7
- Students per teacher
- 7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 5
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~49 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Plankinton Jr. High - 03's federal record.
- Compare Plankinton Jr. High - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Plankinton School District 01-1'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 Plankinton Jr. High - 03
How many students attend Plankinton Jr. High - 03?
Plankinton Jr. High - 03 has 49 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Plankinton, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Plankinton Jr. High - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Plankinton Jr. High - 03 is 24.5:1, which is 80% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 56% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Plankinton Jr. High - 03?
11.8% of students at Plankinton Jr. High - 03 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Plankinton Jr. High - 03?
The largest demographic group at Plankinton Jr. High - 03 is White at 61.2% of enrollment, in Plankinton, SD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Plankinton Jr. High - 03?
Plankinton Jr. High - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Plankinton Jr. High - 03 rank among public schools in Plankinton?
By Resource Investment Index, Plankinton Jr. High - 03 ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Plankinton, 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 Plankinton on the city page.
Is Plankinton Jr. High - 03 a good school?
Plankinton Jr. High - 03 earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of South Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Plankinton School District 01-1?
Besides Plankinton Jr. High - 03, Plankinton School District 01-1 also operates Plankinton Elementary - 02 (132 students), Plankinton High School - 01 (86 students), and Aurora Plains Academy High School - 05 (10 students). See the Plankinton School District 01-1 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.