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Canistota Middle School - 03

Q: Is Canistota Middle School - 03 a good school?

Canistota Middle School - 03 ranks 142 nd of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

142^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 246 South Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 42% of South Dakota middle schools

Summary

Canistota Middle School - 03 is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in Canistota, South Dakota, with a total enrollment of 67 students. The school is part of the Canistota School District 43-1, which is ranked 50 out of 147 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Canistota Middle School - 03 has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from #6 to #142 out of South Dakota middle schools, and its SchoolDigger rating has also varied from 5 stars to 2 stars in recent years. The school's performance in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency rates is generally lower than the district and state averages, but its 8th-grade Science proficiency rates have been consistently higher. The school has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism rates, from 5.8% to 20.2%, and a growing percentage of students from low-income families, from 11.48% to 37.31%.

Compared to nearby middle schools, such as Freeman Junior High - 05, West Central Middle School - 04, and Montrose Middle School - 03, Canistota Middle School - 03 generally performs lower in terms of statewide rankings and academic achievement, despite having a higher percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients. The school's declining performance, accompanied by increasing chronic absenteeism and a growing low-income student population, suggests that it faces significant challenges in providing a high-quality education to its students.

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,552

Per pupil spending ?

26.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

431 4th Ave
Canistota, SD 57012

(605) 296-3458

District: Canistota School District 43-1

Students who attend Canistota Middle School - 03 usually attend:

High:

Canistota High School - 01

Feeder schools for Canistota Middle School - 03:

Elementary:

Canistota Elementary - 02

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.2%

American Indian:

5.9%

Hispanic:

4.4%

See top rated South Dakota middle schools

Compare Canistota Middle School - 03 to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 49th percentile in 2015 → 42nd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Dakota average (38% vs 47% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg50%

South Dakota avg47%

142^nd of 246

South Dakota public middle schools ?

Bottom 42%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From bottom 49% (2015) to bottom 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

50^th of 147Canistota School District 43-1 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	47.3	142 of 246	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.2	92 of 147	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.9	45 of 150	70.0%	★★★★☆
2022	53.7	66 of 143	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	80.4	14 of 145	90.3%	★★★★★
2019	69.1	40 of 149	73.2%	★★★★☆
2018	85.7	6 of 147	95.9%	★★★★★
2017	85.4	11 of 146	92.5%	★★★★★
2016	64.8	39 of 147	73.5%	★★★★☆
2015	49.0	74 of 145	49.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	52.1	84 of 145	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	26.5	126 of 146	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	66.4	46 of 140	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	54.3	79 of 139	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	54.8	74 of 139	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	76.2	13 of 136	90.4%	★★★★★
2007	38.3	113 of 136	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	42.1	106 of 141	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	15.8	126 of 136	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	42.6	105 of 134	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	58.0	56 of 133	57.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	53.0	113 of 229	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.5	54 of 107	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.2	51 of 112	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.7	39 of 102	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.7	42 of 113	62.8%	★★★☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	34.1	26 of 47	44.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	36.7	84 of 117	28.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	39.1	125 of 187	33.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	38.1	155 of 233	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.0	77 of 115	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.4	81 of 104	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	96.4	1 of 115	99.1%	★★★★★

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	23.5	30 of 32	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	50.6	39 of 111	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	46.5	81 of 181	55.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	43.4	147 of 230	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	99 of 132	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.9	58 of 136	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.0	77 of 132	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	75.2	16 of 136	88.2%	★★★★☆
2019	66.8	36 of 136	73.5%	★★★★☆
2018	82.7	11 of 131	91.6%	★★★★★

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)

Native American (2025)65th percentile+23 vs school

Special Education (2025)55th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2025)51st percentile+8 vs school

Foster Care (2025)45th percentile~ school

White (2025)36th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2025)33rd percentile-9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)33rd percentile-9 vs school

Hispanic (2025)28th percentile-14 vs school

Military Connected (2025)6th percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Science48%+5 vs state

Mathematics43%~ state avg

English Language Arts29%-22 vs state

★

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Schools Near Canistota 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
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
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
Marion Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	100 S Cedar St	Marion	57043	Turner County	Marion School District 60-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 648-3615	46	4	11.7	52.2%	38 (82.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.5%)	62.6	85^th of 246 public middle schools	65.4%		31	109^th of 147 public middle schools	25.9%	24	36.4	50.0	52.6	47.8	18.2	43.8	63.2	45.7	68.4	$14,851	$36	$14,815
Parker Junior High - 03	Public	7-8	335 W 1st St	Parker	57053	Turner County	Parker School District 60-4	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 297-3456	74	5	15.7	31.1%	65 (87.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.7%)	40.5	167^th of 246 public middle schools	32.1%		41.3	96^th of 147 public middle schools	34.7%	71		44.7	32.4	38.9		42.1	23.5	33.3	23.5	$10,419	$00	$10,419
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
West Central Middle School - 04	Public	6-8	705 E 2nd St	Hartford	57033	Minnehaha County	West Central School District 49-7	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 528-3799	297	20	15.0	13.8%	269 (90.6%)	3 (1.0%)	8 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.7%)	56.2	109^th of 246 public middle schools	55.7%		51.3	74^th of 147 public middle schools	49.7%	35	37.0	54.7	50.6	46.9	44.4	41.1	48.3	44.5	39.3	$11,327	$259	$11,068
Freeman Junior High - 05	Public	7-8	1001 S Wipf St	Freeman	57029	Hutchinson County	Freeman School District 33-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 925-4214	49	3	15.1	38.8%	40 (81.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.0%)	73.1	42^nd of 246 public middle schools	82.9%		76.7	26^th of 147 public middle schools	82.3%	16		61.9	52.2	56.8		52.4	60.9	56.8	56.5	$12,486	$00	$12,486

Frequently Asked Questions about Canistota Middle School - 03

How many students attend Canistota Middle School - 03?

In the 2024-25 school year, 68 students attended Canistota Middle School - 03.

Is Canistota Middle School - 03 a good school?

Canistota Middle School - 03 ranks 142^nd of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Canistota Middle School - 03 in?

Canistota School District 43-1

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

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

What is the racial makeup of Canistota Middle School - 03?

Students at Canistota Middle School - 03 are 88% White, 6% American Indian, 4% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

Rate Canistota 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.