Enrollment
70
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Timber Lake, SD
Timber Lake Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Timber Lake Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 467188000940
👥 S:T ratio 72
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 72
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Timber Lake Middle School - 03 earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of South Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Timber Lake · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7:1
- small classes for South Dakota
- 29.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Timber Lake Middle School - 03 has class sizes smaller than 93% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Timber Lake Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Timber Lake, SD.
School address
District: Timber Lake School District 20-3 · South Dakota
NCES ID 467188000940 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-49% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.6%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Timber Lake Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Timber Lake Middle School - 03
Timber Lake Middle School - 03 is a mid-sized middle school in Timber Lake, South Dakota, enrolling 70 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7:1, Timber Lake Middle School - 03 is leaner than roughly 93% of South Dakota schools and 49% under the state's 13.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 29.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 70 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 84 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #13.
Its student body is led by American Indian / Alaska Native (51%) and White (47%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 140 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.
The surrounding Timber Lake School District 20-3 spends $18,185 per pupil, 35% above the South Dakota average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 66.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Timber Lake School District 20-3 also operates Timber Lake Elementary - 02 (185 students) and Timber Lake High School - 01 (117 students) alongside Timber Lake Middle School - 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 Timber Lake Middle School - 03 compares
Timber Lake Middle School - 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 | 7:1 | ▼ 49% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.6% | ▲ 3% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 70 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
70
Bigger than 7% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% above 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
7:1
students per teacher
- 49% below state mean
Top 7% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
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
$18,185
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Dakota avg of $13,477
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 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
American Indian / Alaska Native 51.4%
White 47.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 51.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.4, Timber Lake Middle School - 03 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Timber Lake School District 20-3, which includes Timber Lake Middle School - 03.
$18,185
Per student
+35%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.7%
State 21.5%
Federal 66.8%
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 Timber Lake Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timber Lake Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Timber Lake High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Timber Lake Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 185
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 117
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
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 (~70 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Timber Lake Middle School - 03's federal record.
- Compare Timber Lake Middle School - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Timber Lake School District 20-3'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 Timber Lake Middle School - 03
How many students attend Timber Lake Middle School - 03?
Timber Lake Middle School - 03 has 70 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Timber Lake, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Timber Lake Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Timber Lake Middle School - 03 is 7:1, which is 49% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 55% 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 Timber Lake Middle School - 03?
29.6% of students at Timber Lake Middle School - 03 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Timber Lake Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Timber Lake Middle School - 03 is American Indian / Alaska Native at 51.4% of enrollment, in Timber Lake, SD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Timber Lake Middle School - 03?
Timber Lake Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (higher 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 Timber Lake Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in Timber Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Timber Lake Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Timber Lake, 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 Timber Lake on the city page.
Is Timber Lake Middle School - 03 a good school?
Timber Lake Middle School - 03 earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% 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 Timber Lake School District 20-3?
Besides Timber Lake Middle School - 03, Timber Lake School District 20-3 also operates Timber Lake Elementary - 02 (185 students) and Timber Lake High School - 01 (117 students). See the Timber Lake School District 20-3 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.