Summary:
Frederick, South Dakota, has three public schools serving pre-K through grade 12: Frederick Area Elementary - 02 (98 students), Frederick Area Middle School - 03 (30), and Frederick High School - 01 (59). In the latest results, from 2025–2026, the elementary and middle schools were above state results in all-grades English language arts (ELA) and math, and the high school was above state results in its grade 11 subjects. The main takeaway is that results are strong against state comparisons, though the leading school depends on the subject.
Frederick High School - 01 stands out in SchoolDigger’s statewide rankings: 7th of 130 schools, at the 95th percentile and rated 5 stars. Its grade 11 results were 69% in ELA, 50% in math, and 63% in science—20, 16, and 18 points above state results, respectively. Among the two schools with comparable all-grades Smarter Balanced results, the middle school leads in ELA: 73% proficient versus 60% at the elementary, a 13-point gap. The elementary leads in math, 64% versus 55%, a 10-point gap. SchoolDigger ranks the middle school at the 77th percentile (4 stars) and the elementary at the 63rd percentile (3 stars), making the elementary lower in this local group’s rankings.
Recent results show different paths: from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, ELA rose 11 points at the middle school but fell 3 points at the elementary; math fell 4 points at the middle school and 5 at the elementary. The two-school average ELA advantage over the state grew by 6 points, while the math advantage narrowed by 5 points. SchoolDigger’s high-school ranking also rose from the 39th to the 95th percentile; however, the high school’s assessment changed between years, so its results are not a direct score trend. As context, 2024–2025 free/reduced lunch eligible shares were 23% at the middle school, 19% at the elementary, and 17% at the high school; student–teacher ratios were 9.2, 9.9, and 11.3, respectively. These measures do not explain achievement differences.
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