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Public middle school · Northwestern Area School District 56-7 · Mellette, South Dakota

Northwestern Middle School - 02

Northwestern Middle School - 02 rates 6.4, right at the middle of Northwestern Area School District 56-7's middle schools, whose rated median is 6.4.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.4this school

6.4 on a one-to-ten scale; the Northwestern Area School District 56-7 median is 6.4.

#300 of 586 schools in South Dakota · Northwestern Area School District 56-7: 1 middle schools rated, median 6.4

The brief

A Northwestern Area School District 56-7 middle school serving grades 6th – 8th.

It ranks 300 of 586 schools in South Dakota and 2 of 4 in Northwestern Area School District 56-7.

Northwestern Middle School - 02 is listed in Northwestern Area School District 56-7, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math48%5 points above the South Dakota average of 43%2025 SBAC
Reading67%16 points above the South Dakota average of 51%2025 SBAC
Proficiency has held near 57% across the 2-year record (2024–2025).2025 SBAC; 42 test records from SD state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
6.4
40% of the rating
Academics
7.4
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.0
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 55% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 63% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 SBAC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 SBAC · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 57461; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Northwestern Middle School - 02 and the 12 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$105,625
Median home value
$161,100
College educated
27.8%
Homeownership
87.4%
Poverty rate
6.3%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 57461; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
20
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
34
Somewhat Bikeable

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
13.6%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Northwestern Middle School - 02 serve?

Northwestern Middle School - 02 serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Northwestern Middle School - 02?

Northwestern Middle School - 02 has an enrollment of approximately 59 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwestern Middle School - 02?

The student-teacher ratio at Northwestern Middle School - 02 is 14.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Northwestern Middle School - 02 rank in SD?

Northwestern Middle School - 02 ranks #300 of 586 schools in SD.

What is Northwestern Middle School - 02's MySchoolScout rating?

Northwestern Middle School - 02 has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Northwestern Middle School - 02?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Northwestern Middle School - 02 has 55% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 63% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Northwestern Middle School - 02 a charter school?

No, Northwestern Middle School - 02 is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Northwestern Middle School - 02 a Title I school?

No, Northwestern Middle School - 02 is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Northwestern Middle School - 02?

13.6% of students at Northwestern Middle School - 02 qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
59
Student-teacher ratio
14.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
4
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Remote Rural
County
Spink County
Rank in district
#2 of 4
Schools in district
6
District spending per student
$12,473
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
21.9%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 57461)
286
Area median age
53.4

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, South Dakota Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.