Enrollment
545
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Spearfish, SD
Spearfish Middle School - 05
Federal NCES profile for Spearfish Middle School - 05, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 466693000622
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Spearfish Middle School - 05 earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #4 of 7
- public schools in Spearfish · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.6:1
- students per teacher
- 11.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Spearfish Middle School - 05 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Spearfish Middle School - 05 ranks #4 of 7 public schools in Spearfish, SD.
School address
District: Spearfish School District 40-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 466693000622 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.7%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Spearfish Middle School - 05 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Spearfish Middle School - 05
Spearfish Middle School - 05 is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Spearfish, South Dakota, enrolling 545 students.
At 13.6:1, 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 11.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Dakota, bigger than 92% of state schools at 545 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 69 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #27.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 273 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
17.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Spearfish School District 40-2 spends $9,880 per pupil, 27% below the South Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Spearfish School District 40-2 also operates Spearfish High School - 01 (787 students) and Creekside Elementary - 07 (553 students) alongside Spearfish Middle School - 05.
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 Spearfish Middle School - 05 compares
Spearfish Middle School - 05 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 | 13.6:1 | ▼ 0% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.7% | ▼ 59% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 545 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
545
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.7%
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
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 53% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$9,880
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 273 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
67
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.0 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 87.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
Two or More 4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Asian 1.3%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 87.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.3, Spearfish Middle School - 05 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Spearfish School District 40-2, which includes Spearfish Middle School - 05.
$9,880
Per student
-27%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.5%
State 31.6%
Federal 11.9%
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 Spearfish Middle School - 05 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spearfish High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Creekside Elementary - 07 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Elementary - 03 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary - 08 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills High School - 10 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Spearfish Middle School - 05's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 787
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 553
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 322
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 168
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 21
- Students per teacher
- 7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~545 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Spearfish Middle School - 05's federal record.
- Compare Spearfish Middle School - 05 against another school. Compare schools
- Spearfish School District 40-2'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 Spearfish Middle School - 05
How many students attend Spearfish Middle School - 05?
Spearfish Middle School - 05 has 545 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Spearfish, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Spearfish Middle School - 05?
The student-teacher ratio at Spearfish Middle School - 05 is 13.6:1, which is 0% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Spearfish Middle School - 05?
11.7% of students at Spearfish Middle School - 05 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Spearfish Middle School - 05?
The largest demographic group at Spearfish Middle School - 05 is White at 87.3% of enrollment, in Spearfish, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Spearfish Middle School - 05?
Spearfish Middle School - 05 has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Spearfish Middle School - 05 rank among public schools in Spearfish?
By Resource Investment Index, Spearfish Middle School - 05 ranks #4 of 7 public schools in Spearfish, 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 Spearfish on the city page.
Is Spearfish Middle School - 05 a good school?
Spearfish Middle School - 05 earns 45/100 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 Spearfish School District 40-2?
Besides Spearfish Middle School - 05, Spearfish School District 40-2 also operates Spearfish High School - 01 (787 students), Creekside Elementary - 07 (553 students), and West Elementary - 03 (322 students). See the Spearfish School District 40-2 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.