Middle Schools in Spearfish School District 40-2

The Spearfish School District 40-2 in South Dakota is home to two middle schools: Spearfish Middle School - 05 and Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 09. Based on the available data, Spearfish Middle School - 05 appears to be the stronger performing school in the district, with a higher statewide ranking, better test scores, and lower chronic absenteeism rates compared to Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 09.

Spearfish Middle School - 05 ranked 75th out of 246 South Dakota middle schools in the 2024-2025 school year, with a 4-star rating, while Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 09 ranked 238th, with a 0-star rating. Spearfish Middle School - 05 also outperformed the district and state averages in most Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, while Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 09 had 0% proficiency in all 8th-grade assessments.

The data also reveals that Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 09 had a higher spending per student and a lower student-teacher ratio compared to Spearfish Middle School - 05, but these factors did not translate into better academic outcomes. The chronic absenteeism rate of 20.2% for both schools is also a concern that the district may need to address to improve student engagement and learning.