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McCook Central Middle School - 03

Q: Is McCook Central Middle School - 03 a good school?

McCook Central Middle School - 03 ranks 166 th of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

166^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 246 South Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 33% of South Dakota middle schools

Summary

McCook Central Middle School - 03 is a public middle school in Salem, South Dakota, serving 115 students in grades 5-8. The school is part of the McCook Central School District 43-7, which is ranked 98 out of 147 school districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

McCook Central Middle School - 03 has consistently underperformed compared to the state and its own district averages in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's ELA proficiency rate was 40.96% compared to the state's 50.93% and the district's 48.72%. Similarly, the school's Mathematics proficiency rate was 30.12% compared to the state's 43.49% and the district's 34.75%. The school has also experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 10.6% to 20.8% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state's average. Additionally, the school has a relatively high student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12.5 to 15.9 over the past few years, which is higher than the nearby schools.

The nearby schools, such as Bridgewater-Emery Middle School - 04, Canistota Middle School - 03, and Montrose Middle School - 03, generally outperform McCook Central Middle School - 03 in both academic achievement and other key metrics. For instance, Bridgewater-Emery Middle School - 04 has a significantly higher ELA proficiency rate of 57.47% and a Mathematics proficiency rate of 49.43% in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to McCook Central Middle School - 03. The school's performance has also declined over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 35 out of 145 South Dakota middle schools in 2020-2021 to 166 out of 246 in 2024-2025.

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,092

Per pupil spending ?

26.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 E Essex
Salem, SD 57058

(605) 425-2264

District: McCook Central School District 43-7

Students who attend McCook Central Middle School - 03 usually attend:

High:

McCook Central High School - 01

Feeder schools for McCook Central Middle School - 03:

Elementary:	Goldenview Colony School - 04
	McCook Central Elementary - 02

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.5%

Hispanic:

4.8%

Two or more races:

4.8%

See top rated South Dakota middle schools

Compare McCook Central Middle School - 03 to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 73rd percentile in 2015 → 33rd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Dakota average (35% vs 47% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 40 percentile points since 2015

!Mathematics scores 13 pts below the South Dakota average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school35%

District avg41%

South Dakota avg47%

166^th of 246

South Dakota public middle schools ?

Bottom 33%▼ down 41 pts since 2015

From top 27% (2015) to bottom 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

98^th of 147McCook Central School District 43-7 among South Dakota districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	41.2	166 of 246	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.7	125 of 147	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.4	95 of 150	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.7	70 of 143	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.9	35 of 145	75.9%	★★★★☆
2019	44.8	91 of 149	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.7	103 of 147	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	27.6	118 of 146	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	53.4	63 of 147	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	62.8	39 of 145	73.1%	★★★★☆
2013	63.0	55 of 145	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.9	71 of 146	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	61.6	60 of 140	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	53.3	81 of 139	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	65.1	45 of 139	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.1	40 of 136	70.6%	★★★★☆
2007	75.2	16 of 136	88.2%	★★★★☆
2006	63.6	49 of 141	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	62.8	51 of 136	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2004	57.5	70 of 134	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2003	56.5	60 of 133	54.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	43.5	146 of 229	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.0	83 of 107	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	64.1	32 of 102	68.6%	★★★★☆
2021	54.6	53 of 113	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.4	83 of 107	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	37.2	79 of 117	32.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	39.3	124 of 187	33.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	41.0	150 of 233	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.5	104 of 115	9.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	40.2	76 of 116	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.8	80 of 104	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	67.9	26 of 115	77.4%	★★★★☆
2019	50.2	55 of 110	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.9	50 of 111	55.0%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	37.4	84 of 115	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	51.6	64 of 181	64.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	36.4	171 of 230	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.8	124 of 132	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	31.8	101 of 136	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	42.4	82 of 132	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.0	58 of 136	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.0	95 of 136	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.7	107 of 131	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2025)65th percentile+32 vs school

Female (2025)36th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2025)36th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)34th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)32nd percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)27th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)26th percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts41%-10 vs state

Mathematics30%-13 vs state

Science30%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near McCook Central Middle School - 03

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
McCook Central Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	200 E Essex	Salem	57058	McCook County	McCook Central School District 43-7	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 425-2264	84	6	13.2	26.2%	76 (90.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.8%)	41.2	166^th of 246 public middle schools	32.5%		20.7	125^th of 147 public middle schools	15.0%	41	38.5	40.0	44.4	41.0	34.6	33.3	22.2	30.1	29.6	$13,092	$51	$13,041
Canistota Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	431 4th Ave	Canistota	57012	McCook County	Canistota School District 43-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 296-3458	68	4	17.1	26.5%	60 (88.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.4%)	1 (1.5%)	4 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47.3	142^nd of 246 public middle schools	42.3%		44.2	92^nd of 147 public middle schools	37.4%	50	39.3	35.0	9.5	29.0	42.9	55.0	33.3	43.5	47.6	$12,552	$00	$12,552
Montrose Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	309 S Church Ave	Montrose	57048	McCook County	Montrose School District 43-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 363-5025	53	4	12.2	22.6%	49 (92.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	80.6	23^rd of 246 public middle schools	90.7%		86.6	11^th of 147 public middle schools	92.5%	12	60.0	75.0	65.0	65.4	40.0	91.7	75.0	65.4	75.0	$14,480	$132	$14,348
Bridgewater-Emery Middle School - 04	Public	6-8	130 N 6th St	Emery	57332	Hanson County	Bridgewater-Emery 30-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 449-4271	85	6	13.4	25.9%	77 (90.6%)	1 (1.2%)	3 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.7%)	67.9	63^rd of 246 public middle schools	74.4%		61.8	51^st of 147 public middle schools	65.3%	12	59.4	50.0	64.0	57.5	56.3	36.7	56.0	49.4	52.0	$13,117	$112	$13,005

Frequently Asked Questions about McCook Central Middle School - 03

What district is McCook Central Middle School - 03 in?

McCook Central School District 43-7

How many students attend McCook Central Middle School - 03?

In the 2024-25 school year, 84 students attended McCook Central Middle School - 03.

What is the racial makeup of McCook Central Middle School - 03?

Students at McCook Central Middle School - 03 are 90% White, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Is McCook Central Middle School - 03 a good school?

McCook Central Middle School - 03 ranks 166^th of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of McCook Central Middle School - 03 attend?

Students who attend McCook Central Middle School - 03 usually go on to attend McCook Central High School - 01

Rate McCook Central Middle School - 03!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Dakota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.