Enrollment
41
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Wakpala, SD
Wakpala Middle School - 04
Federal NCES profile for Wakpala Middle School - 04, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 467560001326
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 75
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wakpala Middle School - 04 earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Wakpala · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Wakpala Middle School - 04 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wakpala Middle School - 04 ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Wakpala, SD.
School address
District: Smee School District 15-3 · South Dakota
NCES ID 467560001326 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+247% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wakpala Middle School - 04 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wakpala Middle School - 04
Wakpala Middle School - 04 is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Wakpala, South Dakota, enrolling 41 students.
At 13.7:1, 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 is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 247% above the South Dakota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 41 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 23 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #15.
Its student body is predominantly American Indian / Alaska Native (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 14/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 124 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Smee School District 15-3 spends $26,149 per pupil, 94% above the South Dakota average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 68.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 20 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 41 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Smee School District 15-3 also operates Wakpala Elementary - 02 (95 students) and Wakpala High School - 01 (38 students) alongside Wakpala Middle School - 04.
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 Wakpala Middle School - 04 compares
Wakpala Middle School - 04 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 | 13.7:1 | ▲ 1% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 247% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 41 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
41
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 247% above the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 54% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.7%
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
$26,149
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Dakota avg of $13,477
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 41.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 48.8 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 92.7%
White 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
Two or More 2.4%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 92.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.9, Wakpala Middle School - 04 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Smee School District 15-3, which includes Wakpala Middle School - 04.
$26,149
Per student
+94%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
+58%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 4.2%
State 27.6%
Federal 68.3%
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 Wakpala Middle School - 04 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wakpala Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wakpala High School - 01 | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wakpala Middle School - 04's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 95
- Students per teacher
- 9.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 38
- Students per teacher
- 5.4:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
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 (~41 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wakpala Middle School - 04's federal record.
- Compare Wakpala Middle School - 04 against another school. Compare schools
- Smee School District 15-3'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 Wakpala Middle School - 04
How many students attend Wakpala Middle School - 04?
Wakpala Middle School - 04 has 41 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Wakpala, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wakpala Middle School - 04?
The student-teacher ratio at Wakpala Middle School - 04 is 13.7:1, which is 1% 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 Wakpala Middle School - 04?
100.0% of students at Wakpala Middle School - 04 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wakpala Middle School - 04?
The largest demographic group at Wakpala Middle School - 04 is American Indian / Alaska Native at 92.7% of enrollment, in Wakpala, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wakpala Middle School - 04?
Wakpala Middle School - 04 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 Wakpala Middle School - 04 rank among public schools in Wakpala?
By Resource Investment Index, Wakpala Middle School - 04 ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Wakpala, 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 Wakpala on the city page.
Is Wakpala Middle School - 04 a good school?
Wakpala Middle School - 04 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 Smee School District 15-3?
Besides Wakpala Middle School - 04, Smee School District 15-3 also operates Wakpala Elementary - 02 (95 students) and Wakpala High School - 01 (38 students). See the Smee School District 15-3 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.