Enrollment
24
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Waubay, SD
Waubay Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Waubay Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 467668000945
👥 S:T ratio 76
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waubay Middle School - 03 earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of South Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Waubay · Resource Index
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 6:1
- small classes for South Dakota
- 34.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Waubay Middle School - 03 has class sizes smaller than 95% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waubay Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Waubay, SD.
School address
District: Waubay School District 18-3 · South Dakota
NCES ID 467668000945 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-56% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.4%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waubay Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waubay Middle School - 03
Waubay Middle School - 03 is a small middle school in Waubay, South Dakota, enrolling 24 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6:1, Waubay Middle School - 03 is leaner than roughly 95% of South Dakota schools and 56% 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 34.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 24 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 691 South Dakota schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 16 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 73 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 43.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Waubay School District 18-3 also operates Waubay Elementary - 02 (88 students) and Waubay High School - 01 (65 students) alongside Waubay 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 Waubay Middle School - 03 compares
Waubay 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 | 6:1 | ▼ 56% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.4% | ▲ 19% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 24 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
24
Bigger than 3% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
6:1
students per teacher
- 56% below state mean
Top 5% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$15,511
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 66.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 25.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
Two or More 4.2%
Largest group: White at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.9, Waubay Middle School - 03 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waubay School District 18-3, which includes Waubay Middle School - 03.
$15,511
Per student
+15%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 19.0%
Federal 43.5%
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 Waubay Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waubay Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waubay High School - 01 | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waubay Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 88
- Students per teacher
- 8.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 65
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~24 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waubay Middle School - 03's federal record.
- Compare Waubay Middle School - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Waubay School District 18-3'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 Waubay Middle School - 03
How many students attend Waubay Middle School - 03?
Waubay Middle School - 03 has 24 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Waubay, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waubay Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Waubay Middle School - 03 is 6:1, which is 56% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 62% 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 Waubay Middle School - 03?
34.4% of students at Waubay 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 Waubay Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Waubay Middle School - 03 is White at 66.7% of enrollment, in Waubay, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waubay Middle School - 03?
Waubay Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Waubay Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in Waubay?
By Resource Investment Index, Waubay Middle School - 03 ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Waubay, 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 Waubay on the city page.
Is Waubay Middle School - 03 a good school?
Waubay Middle School - 03 earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% 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 Waubay School District 18-3?
Besides Waubay Middle School - 03, Waubay School District 18-3 also operates Waubay Elementary - 02 (88 students) and Waubay High School - 01 (65 students). See the Waubay School District 18-3 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.