Enrollment
54
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Willow Lake, SD
Willow Lake Middle School - 03
Federal NCES profile for Willow Lake Middle School - 03, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 467935000952
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willow Lake Middle School - 03 earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of South Dakota schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Willow Lake · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18:1
- large classes for South Dakota
- 15.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Willow Lake Middle School - 03 has class sizes larger than 89% of South Dakota schools. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willow Lake Middle School - 03 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Willow Lake, SD.
School address
District: Willow Lake School District 12-3 · South Dakota
NCES ID 467935000952 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.5%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
-46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willow Lake Middle School - 03 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willow Lake Middle School - 03
Willow Lake Middle School - 03 is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Willow Lake, South Dakota, enrolling 54 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18:1 is larger than about 89% of South Dakota schools and 32% above the 13.6:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 15.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 54 puts it in the smaller third of South Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Against 98 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #55.
Its student body is predominantly White (98% of enrollment) (diversity index 4/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 216 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Willow Lake School District 12-3 also operates Willow Lake Elementary - 02 (153 students) and Willow Lake High School - 01 (69 students) alongside Willow 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 Willow Lake Middle School - 03 compares
Willow 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 32% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.5% | ▼ 46% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 54 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
54
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
18:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 89% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
3.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$11,121
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
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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
White 98.1%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
Largest group: White at 98.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 3.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 3.7, Willow Lake Middle School - 03 is less mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Willow Lake School District 12-3, which includes Willow Lake Middle School - 03.
$11,121
Per student
-17%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 63.0%
State 27.0%
Federal 10.0%
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 Willow Lake Middle School - 03 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Lake Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Willow Lake High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mayfield Colony Elementary - 04 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shamrock Colony Elementary - 05 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Collins Colony Elementary - 06 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willow Lake Middle School - 03's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 153
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 69
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 31
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 21
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 16
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~54 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willow Lake Middle School - 03's federal record.
- Compare Willow Lake Middle School - 03 against another school. Compare schools
- Willow Lake School District 12-3'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 Willow Lake Middle School - 03
How many students attend Willow Lake Middle School - 03?
Willow Lake Middle School - 03 has 54 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Willow Lake, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willow Lake Middle School - 03?
The student-teacher ratio at Willow Lake Middle School - 03 is 18:1, which is 32% higher than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Willow Lake Middle School - 03?
15.5% of students at Willow 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 Willow Lake Middle School - 03?
The largest demographic group at Willow Lake Middle School - 03 is White at 98.1% of enrollment, in Willow Lake, SD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willow Lake Middle School - 03?
Willow Lake Middle School - 03 has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Willow Lake Middle School - 03 rank among public schools in Willow Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Willow Lake Middle School - 03 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Willow 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 Willow Lake on the city page.
Is Willow Lake Middle School - 03 a good school?
Willow Lake Middle School - 03 earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of 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 Willow Lake School District 12-3?
Besides Willow Lake Middle School - 03, Willow Lake School District 12-3 also operates Willow Lake Elementary - 02 (153 students), Willow Lake High School - 01 (69 students), and Mayfield Colony Elementary - 04 (31 students). See the Willow Lake School District 12-3 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.