Enrollment
283
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 467542000942
Wagner Middle School - 03 — Wagner, SD
Federal NCES profile for Wagner Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 37/100.
👥 Class size 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 27
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Wagner Community School District 11-4 · South Dakota
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 13.5:1 South Dakota avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+247% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wagner Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Wagner Middle School - 03 reports 283 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 21.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 7% below the South Dakota state mean of 13.5:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 21% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 100.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 247% above the South Dakota average and 93% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 283 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 29.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Wagner Community School District 11-4 spends $25,608 per pupil district-wide, above the South Dakota average of $16,140 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 11.4% from local sources (property taxes), 24.5% from the state, and 64.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Wagner Middle School - 03 compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against South Dakota state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs South Dakota | South Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 247% | 28.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 283 | top 76% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 247% above the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
— 7% below state mean
Top 42% in South Dakota — lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
29.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$25,608
per pupil, district-wide
— above South Dakota avg of $16,140
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 283 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
94
in-school suspensions + 64 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 33.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 55.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 283 Top 76% in South Dakota — larger than 24% of 698 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 21.0
Students per teacher 12.6:1 -7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 100.0% +247% vs state
NCES ID 467542000942
Student demographics
American Indian / Alaska Native 60.8%
White 27.6%
Two or More 10.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 60.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 283:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 29.3%
In-school suspensions 94
Out-of-school suspensions 64
Expulsions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wagner Community School District 11-4, which includes Wagner Middle School - 03.
$25,608
Per student
+59%
vs South Dakota
Avg $16,140
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 11.4%
State 24.5%
Federal 64.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Enrollment
- 201
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Enrollment
- 102
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
Similar elementary schools in Wagner
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Wagner Middle School - 03
How many students attend Wagner Middle School - 03?
Wagner Middle School - 03 has 283 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Wagner, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wagner Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Wagner Middle School - 03 is 12.6:1, which is 7% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.5:1 and 21% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wagner Middle School - 03?
100.0% of students at Wagner 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 Wagner Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Wagner Middle School - 03 is American Indian / Alaska Native at 60.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in Wagner, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wagner Middle School - 03?
Wagner Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.