Enrollment
41
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Wessington Springs, SD
Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04
Federal NCES profile for Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 467746000076
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 92
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Wessington Springs · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 11.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Wessington Springs, SD.
School address
District: Wessington Springs School District 36-2 · South Dakota
NCES ID 467746000076 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
11.9%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04
Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Wessington Springs, 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 runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 11.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 41 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 691 South Dakota schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 52 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #5, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 41 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Wessington Springs's middle schools, it stands alongside Wessington Springs Middle School Cyber School - 93 (22 students): Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 is larger than that campus by headcount.
Wessington Springs School District 36-2 also operates Wessington Springs Elementary - 02 (145 students) and Wessington Springs High School Cyber School - 92 (138 students) alongside Wessington Springs Jr. High - 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 Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 compares
Wessington Springs Jr. High - 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 | 11.9% | ▼ 59% | 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
11.9%
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
13.7:1
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
7.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,078
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 41 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 90.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
African American 2.4%
Largest group: White at 90.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.0, Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wessington Springs School District 36-2, which includes Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04.
$11,078
Per student
-18%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.1%
State 27.4%
Federal 10.5%
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 Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wessington Springs Elementary - 02 | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wessington Springs High School Cyber School - 92 | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wessington Springs High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wessington Springs Middle School Cyber School - 93 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Spring Valley Colony Elementary - 05 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 145
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 138
- Students per teacher
- 69:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 94
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 22
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 63/100
- Enrollment
- 16
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar middle schools in Wessington Springs
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04's federal record.
- Compare Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 against another school. Compare schools
- Wessington Springs School District 36-2'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 Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04
How many students attend Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04?
Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 has 41 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Wessington Springs, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04?
The student-teacher ratio at Wessington Springs Jr. High - 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 Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04?
11.9% of students at Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04?
The largest demographic group at Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 is White at 90.2% of enrollment, in Wessington Springs, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04?
Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (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 Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 rank among public schools in Wessington Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Wessington Springs, 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 Wessington Springs on the city page.
Is Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 a good school?
Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04 earns 62/100 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 Wessington Springs School District 36-2?
Besides Wessington Springs Jr. High - 04, Wessington Springs School District 36-2 also operates Wessington Springs Elementary - 02 (145 students), Wessington Springs High School Cyber School - 92 (138 students), and Wessington Springs High School - 01 (94 students). See the Wessington Springs School District 36-2 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.